Meant for Each Other
by jamcreynolds
Summary: My version of the marriage law. Trials and tribulations to everyones happiness after the war starting with the Battle of Hogwarts. Fred survives of course. Non canon. My summary sucks!
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Ok guys, bear with me for one on spelling and grammar! For two, I am American so please excuse me lack of English slang and such. I'm trying! Hope you all like the story...please let me know what you think, good or bad! Obviously this is far from canon so just roll with me on it and have some fun! Also, let me point out this is my first fanfic so please be honest so I can improve (;

Chapter 1 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````May 2, 1998...Battle of Hogwarts

Hermione instantly saw that Fred was in trouble. The wall had exploded and he was the one in it's path. Without thinking, she launched herself at Fred, hitting him right in his soft middle with her shoulder. She felt an impact hit him in his pelvis as they were falling and then felt shattering pain in her spine and ribs just below her collarbone. After they landed in the rubble, a heavy piece of rock landed just below her knee, causing her to cry out as it broke both of her bones, drawing the attention of Death Eaters that were near. Curses started to shoot their way. "Stupefy!"  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
"Petrificus totalus!"  
"Obliviate!" This was Hermione's favorite, as it was hard to remember who to curse and what the curses were when hit with this one. Fred was doing his best to cover them both but it was proving difficult when they were stranded on the ground. Harry, Ron, and Percy were near but they were trying to fight off the Death Eaters as well. "Avada Kedavra!" Percy hit Thicknesse as Rookwood took off down the corridor. Harry and Percy were finally able to pull Fred and Hermione from the rubble of the exlplosion and pull them to safety.

Voldemorts voice is heard above the screams and noise, beckoning Harry to the Forbidden Forest. Percy and Ron levitate Fred and Hermione to the Great Hall where the lay with the injured, waiting on the rest of the family to see if everyone is ok.  
"Hermione, I can't believe you saved me. I was going to die. My life literally flashed before my eyes. Then, there you were. You...you're amazing, you are."  
"I didn't even think to be honest...it was all just instinct. I couldn't just let you die. Not without trying to save you. You're too important." Hermione panted back to him in pain.  
"Well you definetly saved his life. And George's, because I doubt he could have survived if his twin had died. He'll probably erect a monument in your honor." chuckled Percy, trying to lighten the mood, seeing how much pain Hermione was in. At this moment, George came running in the Great Hall, frantic. Spotting Percy and Ron, he sprinted over. Seeing Fred lying on the floor, he fell to his knees at his side.  
"You ok, Freddie? You gonna make it?", trying to sound nonchalant.  
"Of course I am! Although I was almost dead...we were just discussing how you were going to erect a statue in Hermione's honor for saving my arse. Even though she got the worst end of the deal for saving me. Look at her! She's in need of a bloody good healing for sure!"

George gets up and gathers Hermione up in his arms to thank her, causing her to cry out in pain from her broken ribs and who knows what else. He releases her, feeling terrible. The rest of the family makes their appearance at this time, all looking quite well aside from normal cuts and bruises. As Molly and Arthur are making over Fred, Ron leans down over Hermione, puts his hand along the side of her face and puts his mouth over hers. He wiggles his tongue into her seems to go on for forever. Molly finally clears her throat and he lifts his head and Hermione can breathe again.  
"Hermione, I can't even begin to thank you for my boys life. Percy and Fred told me what you did. And now you're so injured...I just can't..." she broke down into tears. Arthur squeezed her shoulders.  
"Molly, it's no problem. Really. Right now, I'd appreciate it if someone could check on Harry. I think he went to the Forbidden Forest. We all need to face Voldemort together. Could someone see if Madam Pomfrey is busy with someone worse than me? If she is, I'll wait. If not, could she please help me? I'm really worried about Harry." Hermione fretted.  
Percy instantly volunteered,"I'll go check with Madam Pomfrey."  
Ron broke the news to Hermione, "Harrys been gone since we brought you and Fred in here. We can't find him." Hermione looks over and sees Madam Pomfrey heading over towards them with Percy. She knows it's going to be a long while before she's healed enoughed to be of any help to anyone, let alone Harry.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` May 3, 1998

They were dead. She couldn't believe they were dead. Hermione remembered walking past their bodies as they lay in a line in the Great Hall just the day before. Andromeda had come with sweet baby Teddy when Harry had sent her an owl to tell her that Tonks and Lupin hadn't made it. They had all taken their turns with the charming little infant to give her time with her daughter. Harry of course had spent time with Lupin. It was unbelievable to see the bodies lined up. Hermione just couldn't get the images out of her head. She couldn't even imagine trying to someday explain the horror of that day to poor little Teddy. Since Andromeda had already taken care of Tonks and Lupin, it somehow felt wrong to Hermione to stay at Hogwarts and intrude on people's grief. Especially since she knew that Harry felt that so much of the grief was his own told him otherwise, of course, but he didn't listen. He just saw death. He would have to come to believe it in time. Hermione lay in her bed in Ginnys room looking out the window when she heard a knock on the door. Harry stuck his head in, "Ginny, would you wanna go for a walk with me?"  
"Yeah, of course, I would."  
Ginny gets up and throws some ratty sweats and a jumper on. As she heads out the door, Hermione sends her an evil grin, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Gin, I'm so sorry for having to leave you behind and break up with you, but it really was to protect you. You can't imagine how miserable I really was without you. Ask Hermione or Ron. Well don't ask Ron, he's a bit thick and was gone for a few months. Can you ever forgive me?" Harry asked her.  
"It killed me when you left, Harry. I didn't know if you were going to die or I was ever going to see you again. I want to know everything that happened. Everything that happened. Of course I forgive you. I know you had to. I just want you to understand. I love you." Ginny pledged to him.  
"Of course I'll tell you everything now Gin. I love you too and never want to leave you again. And technically, I did die." he finished off, hoping for a grin. She didn't, however, think this was as humorous as he did.  
"I'm sorry, Gin, I'm just trying to forget everything. All their faces, all the bodies. The destruction. The nightmares. Its just too much. I just want to be normal and laugh again. Im glad that after all that's happened you still love me." Harry crashed his lips into hers in a need so great it scared him. Ginny didn't disappoint him. She willingly opened her mouth, allowing him full access. Her hands went up to his neck and got tangled in his hair, while his dropped to her lower back, pulling her closer. After who knows how long of this dance of tongues, they parted, deciding to go back to the Burrow before they were caught in a compromising position.

The family all stayed close that day. None wanted to leave each others sight. George was still thanking Hermione for saving Fred, which she was getting rather embarrassed about. Everyone was staying in their old rooms, Bill and Fleur sharing. Everyone was overjoyed that Harry and Ginny were obviously back together, as they hadn't been able to keep their hands to themselves all day. Ron had been making gagging noises but everyone else just kind of smiled to themselves. Even Fred commented that Dumbledore would have been happy with a "little more love in the world". Hermione had to smile at that.

Ron had been trying to get Hermione on his own all day, much to her annoyance. She knew it had to do with the kiss that he had given her. The whole family knew about it, although nobody had commented on it to her. She really hoped that they, didn't to be honest. She had wanted it to happen, yes, but when he did it he had pushed. He had crammed his bloody tongue down her throat and didn't even let her breathe. She was in pain and couldn't hardly move! Timing, for Christs sake! She was avoiding him at the moment but she knew that it wouldn't last.

Hermione headed into the kitchen to get some tea for everyone. She could feel Ron's eyes on her back. As she walked through the kitchen door, she heard footsteps behind her. Ron appeared behind her as she was summoning enough cups for everyone.  
"Hermione, we really need to talk. Why haven't you wanted to be around me all day?" Ron's tone was a litte hateful.  
"I just haven't really been in the mood. We just watched everyone die yesterday. I almost died yesterday. Your brother almost died yesterday. Our best friend technically died yesterday. I just want to rest. I don't want to fight. Just please leave it be for now." Hermione begged him.  
Ron huffed about it but left her be. Hermione carried the tea tray in, curled up in the chair with a muggle love story, and fell asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` May 8, 1998

The sleeping arrangements in the house had changed but none were the wiser except for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. After everyone was in bed for the night, Ginny would cast a muffliato charm and sneak into Harry and Ron's room for the night and sleep with Harry. He couldn't seem to sleep without waking the whole house without her there, his nightmares were so bad. Not that nobody else wasnt having their fair share of nightmares...he just had reason for more, I would say. Hermione didn't begrudge them sleeping together. It wasn't like they were angels. Ron wasn't the happiest with the situation, but he also liked his sleep and didn't appreciate getting woke up every night to Harry screaming.

Ron had left Hermione alone since the night after the Battle of Hogwarts, except in passing. He hadn't pushed her, she had to give him that. She still had to admit to herself, however, that now without the threat of the war over her head, she really didn't think there were any feeling there for him. Just friendship. She felt immensely guilty for what she felt may have been leading him on but there wasn't anything she could do now but be honest with him. She was just dreading it because she knew that he would be angry and hold the grudge against her forever. That's just how Ron was. She hoped that eventually he would get past it and they could be friends again.

Hermione looks out the window of Ginny's room at the moon. She hears Ginny climb out of bed and glances at the time. Half past eleven. Right on time. She waves bye to her. She rolls over and faces the wall and falls asleep. She wakes up to the floor creaking. She can tell by the moon that not much time has passed. She grabs her wand and spins over in the bed. The figure grabs her wrist suddenly.  
"Hermione, crikey, it's just me. Blimey! Were you gonna hex me to death?" Ron whispered.  
"Oh my gods, Ron, you scared me to death! If you're sneak into my room, tell me, so I don't think you're a Death Eater who escaped and killed your whole family!" Hermione hissed back.  
"Well, I decided to come talk to you about us since Ginny and Harry are having a snogging session that getting pretty hot and heavy and it's quite disgusting. I haven't felt like this about anyone before. You're special. I want you to know that. You're the one for me. I want you for forever." Ron pledged to her.  
Hermione looked guiltily away for a second, but then looked in his eyes. "Ron, I know I might have acted like I liked you that way. And I do care for you. But as my friend. When you kissed me, it made me realize that there isn't anything there. I feel terrible but I feel like it was the threat of the war above us and that there would never be anything else for us that made me feel like we needed to get together. I know you're going to hate me but I really feel like I need to be honest. Please don't hate me. I really want us to stay friends because please believe me, I still love you as my best friend!"  
"Hermione, I felt the same kiss! There is plenty of heat there, trust me. You just don't know how to do it right. I had to learn with Lavender. You just need to learn with me. That's all. Trust me, we've got it. I'll prove it to you."

With that, Ron shoved Hermione onto her back onto the bed and pulled her wand out of her hand. His mouth pinned her head to the pillow. She screamed into his mouth but he mistook it for pleasure. She tried to shove him off of her but he was far too heavy and bulky for slight frame, especially with the weight she had lost from being on the run for ten months. He hand travelled up her shirt and grasped her breast, at first gently, then harder. Then alot harder. Tears squeezed out her eyes when he pinched her nipple. He finally released her mouth as he moaned in pleasure. She seized her opportunity and screamed. Her hands were on his chest trying to shove him off but he wasn't budging. His mouth crashed over hers again to silence her. His other hands started to wiggle under the waistband of her pants, but was proving to be a fight with her wiggling and fighting him.

All of a sudden Ron's crushing weight disappeared. Hermione sucked in a breath, relishing the sweet air. She felt someone pull her shirt down. She dimly hoped that it was Ginny. She rolled to her side and got sick. As she was emptying her stomach, she heard thuds of skin against skin. She opened her eyes to focus and saw Fred and George beating the piss out Ron. She didn't think about them having the room over from Ginny and being the ones to hear her scream. As George continued to work Ron over, Fred came over to Hermione.

"Hermione, love, please tell me he didn't get anything accomplished other than a hand up your shirt. Which I pulled down for you. We'll kill him, literally, if he did. Mum and Dad won't even be mad." Fred asked after vanishing her sickness.  
"No, he hurt me, but he didn't get any further than that, thanks to you two. Oh my gods I was so scared he was going to..to..." she faded off starting to cry. "Hey, hey, calm down, nothing else is going to happen to you, I promise. Me and Georgie are here now and we're not going to let him touch you again. You want me to go get Ginny for you?" Fred comforted her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back.  
"Oh my gods, no! I don't want anyone to know! It's so embarrassing! He'll say I was leading him on anyways. I told him I didn't want anything with him anyways and he said he needed to teach me how to kiss and everything because he had to learn with Lavender and that's why I didn't want anything with him." Hermione knew she was rambling but she couldn't stop. "Love, I think you should tell someone. It's not good to keep things bottled up."  
"I can talk to you and George. And if I get desperate I can tell Ginny. Or Harry. I just don't want to relive it tonight. Please." Hermione begged.  
"Alright sweetie. Just lay back and shut your eyes. Go to sleep. Let Georgie finish up with Ron. Nobody will know any different. I'll stay til you're asleep."  
Hermione nodded and laid back. She shut her eyes once he started stroking her hair again. She felt herself start to sink into sleep as she realized that she actually felt safe. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` May 18, 1998

The tension during the last week and a half had been so thick in the Weasley household you could cut it with a knife. Nobody seemed to know why. Ginny, however, was not stupid. She knew that something was going on with Hermione and Ron that she wasn't saying and she intended on finding out. The first people that she intended on questioning were the twins, as they hadn't left her side. Ginny managed to corner George out by the shed after breakfast.  
"I want to know what's going on, George, and I want to know now. I mean it. I will hex you." Ginny threatened.  
George backed away. "Look Ginny, I'd tell you if it was my place. So would Fred. You need to talk to Hermione. Please don't make me break confidence. I won't."  
"Fine, George, I can appreciate that...you're just being a good friend. But if she won't tell me, I expect you to." Ginny threatened.

Ginny walked back into the house to find Hermione. She rounded the hallway to find Ron having cornered Hermione. She stayed quiet, listening.  
"Hermione, please listen. I'm so sorry. I've been trying to tell you for a week and a half but you wont listen. Why wont you listen to me?" Ron pleaded.  
"I don't want to listen to you. I don't want to be near you. I don't want to look at you. You make me sick." Hermione spat at him.  
All of a sudden Fred came around the corner. "OI! Sod off, ya git! Leave 'er be! She doesn't want to talk to you so go find the best friend who still wants something to do with you."  
The look on Fred's face was pure rage. Ginny couldn't recall ever seeing that face before. She stepped out from behind the corner as Ron stalked off. She crossed her arms. "I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now. I may not be a match for you, but if you don't tell me, I'll go hex Ron until he tells me." she threatened again.  
Hermione looked at Fred and beckoned Ginny to follow her up to her room. Fred followed.  
Once in the room, Hermione cast silencing charms so nobody could listen. After telling Ginny the whole story, Hermione was in a pit of shame and Ginny was in a thunderhead of fury.  
"I'm going to fucking kill him! Then bring him back, crucio him, then kill him again!" she yelled, "I can only imagine what Harry will do to him."  
"I don't want anyone to know if they don't have to, Ginny. Its pretty embarrassing actually." Hermione begged.  
"No, I'm telling Harry. I won't tell Mum and Dad but I'm telling Harry. I can't keep something this big from him. Especially from someone that he thinks he knows. It wouldn't be right."  
"Oh alright, but just Harry. Nobody better get downstairs and help your mum with the chores before she realizes we're missing." Hermione agrees.

They find Molly at the table with seven official envelopes in her hand, addressed to each of her children except for Bill, Harry and Hermione. They all have a Ministry stamp on them. Molly hands them out, her hands shaking. She calls them all in to open them together, her hands shaking.  
Hermione is the first to read through hers:

Miss Granger,

We are writing to inform you that we have instated an old wizarding law called the Marriage Law. Due to war, too much magical blood was lost so all witches and wizards aged 17-32 will be required to be wed within the next year after their match date and produce at least two children within three years from that date. The Ministry of Magic has created a Department of Magical Bonding and you will be required to visit within the next week to have a spell performed on you to determine who your perfect match is. You will have your match sent to you from the Ministry. Failure to comply will mean your wand being snapped in two and a term yet to be determined in Azkaban prison. Thank you for doing your part for our wizarding community.

Yours,

Achie Smith Head of Dept Magical Bonding

Hermione drops her letter, dumbfounded. She stares ahead, waiting for everyone else to finish. Ginny is the first and instantly begin to cry. "What if I'm not paired with Harry?" she whimpers.  
Harry comforts her, "Gin, we're perfect together and everyone knows it. Why wouldn't we be each other's soul mate?" But we all see the fear in his eyes.

We all wander into the living room and everyone else is going on about it being ridiculous. Hermione is plagued with a completely different fear however. What if she's matched with someone who's a complete stranger and wants her to have nothing to do with her friends? Harry was Harry...The Boy Who Lived. He could have his wife do anything. Her husband could throw a fit and she would possibly have to comply. And carry his children. When everyone but Harry, Ginny and the twins had left the room she spoke up.  
"Guys, what if I get paired with someone like Malfoy? Or a Dealth Eater? I mean, Harry, whoever is with you is going to understand you're friends with the Weasleys. If I get some freak, I'm going to carry their babies and they won't let me come around. Who knows how this bond works. What's going to happen to me? You guys will still all have each other." Tears sprang to her eyes and she couldn't hide them fast enough. Fred and George came and sat beside her.  
"You know what we did to Ron the other night?" Fred asked her.  
She nodded, hanging her head.  
"That will be nothing compared to what we do to your new man if he doesn't let you hang with the Weasleys and Harry. Plus, Bill and Charlie will join in, you know that. You're just as good as their little sister now too. Plus you saved their brother. That's worth loads to them. You aren't going anywhere. Trust that. Please." George finished.  
She looked up at their smiling faces and somehow felt better. She wondered how they always managed to do that. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` May 24, 1998

Charlie had spent the week making the move home from Romania. Kingsley had offered him the job of heading of the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures. He, of course, had accepted since he would be getting married and would be having children. The family had been helping him get his things moved back and had put off going to the Ministry for their compatability spells. Unfortunately, it couldn't be put off any longer.

The group rose late that day, dreading their task. Molly just couldn't make them go. She didn't want her children to have to get married like breeding stock. There was nothing she could do about it however, except hope that they were happy with their matches. She made them a good breakfast but they all just picked at their food except for Ron, who always had an appetite.

They all flooed to the Ministry, taking their respective turns at the fireplace. There wasn't a chance in the world of getting lost, as there were signs posted everywhere or where to go. It was just a little weird to be back though as the last time that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been there, they had been under the influence of polyjuice potion and had stolen the horcrux from Umbridge, released the muggleborns, and fled for their lives. It really wasn't a pleasant feeling being back.

Their group followed the signs and they got in the long line that had formed outside what used to be the Muggleborn Registration door. At least the line seemed to be moving fairly swiftly, as the compatibility test was just a simple spell from what the letter had said. Charlie and Percy seem to be impatient as they are supposed to be going to work after their test is finished.

After waiting almost an hour, their group is up their turn. Charlie goes, then Percy. Rons up, then Ginny. They aren't even in for five minutes a piece. Harry's next, then the twins. Hermione goes last. They cast the spell on her and a puff of purple smoke rises out of the air from the wizards wand. She looks on surprised as the wizard informs her that she will be owled in a fortnight with her match and instructions on how to proceed. She sighs, thanks the man, smiles and leaves.

Charlie and Percy had went on but everyone else had waited on her. When she appeared, they all started walking toward the fireplace to floo back to the Burrow. Harry said exactly what she had been thinking.  
"I hate the waiting. I think it's worse than the actual law itself. If that's possible."  
"I agree mate. I mean, just tell me now, so we can go shag and start the baby process now." George starts in joking. Everyone laughs but the tension is thick. They arrive back at the Burrow and tell Molly how it all went. She's horrified that they have to wait two weeks.  
"I just can't believe that they're drawing this out like they are. As if it isn't ridiculous enough, treating you like breeding stock. My gods..."  
Hermione couldn't listen anymore so she went to curl up on her favorite chair with one of her favorite books and lose herself in someone else's life.  



	6. Chapter 6

A/N- Hope you all are enjoying my story...please keep reviewing and letting me know how I'm doing. Like I said before, please excuse the American in me (:

Disclaimer: I own only the plot.

Chapter 6

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 7, 1998

Hermione woke early on the day that their letters were supposed to come from the Ministry. Her nerves wouldn't let her go back to sleep. She didn't know if anyone else would be awake yet besides Molly as it wasn't even seven. She decided to go ahead and shower before anyone got up. After gathering clean clothes and her toiletries, she headed towards the bathroom she and Ginny shared with the twins. She walked into the bathroom and straight into Fred, with a towel wrapped around his slim waist. Her shower items hit the floor and scattered.

Her hand went to her face immediately, she started to stammer an apology, and she bent to pick up her things all at once. Her bare foot hit a wet spot on the tile floor from where he was dripping and she started to fall. He reached out to grab her arm while keeping his towel around him at the same time. Her head smacked the side of tub in the process, leading to a resounding "Owww" from her. She remained on the floor, holding her head, sitting in a puddle of water while Fred cursed himself.  
"Bloody hell, Hermione! Hold on, let me throw some shorts on and I'll look at your head. Don't look, I'm going to change right here."  
" I'm not looking Fred, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to just barge in. I didn't think that anyone else would be up this early. Oww, I think my head is alright." Hermione told him, looking down and feeling around on her head.

Fred knelt down at the side of the tub next to her, wearing only a pair of shorts and smelling like spearmint and some sort of wood. She was suddenly very aware that she was in a cami tank top, shorty shorts and no bra. She could have been his sister for all he noticed though. He pulled her hand away from her head and started to feel around on the side that hit the tub. The bump he found was fairly large.  
"Well it's pretty big, but I don't think it's serious. Do you want some pain potion?"  
"No, I think I'm ok. The hot water will help alot. Thanks though. I'm sorry again. I can't believe I just walked in and didn't even knock."  
"Hermione, it's alright. No harm done. Just take your shower, it'll be fine. Get rid of the headache that I'm sure you're going to have."

He worried to himself as he walked out about her head but tried to brush it off. He needed to come to terms that he was going to have to hand her over to her new fiance to take care of. Since she had pointed out her fears about ending up with someone like Malfoy, he had feared greatly for her. Just because they had won the war didn't mean that the persecution against the muggleborns was gone. He didn't want her to end up with someone who would treat her badly because of her birth. He had always felt brotherly towards her but it was a lot stronger since the Battle of Hogwarts and he realized that she was willing to die for him. It made him realize just how special she was and how much she really deserved.

Not surprisingly, everybody was already at the table except Ron. Nothing could tear him from sleep or food. Nobody could seem to stay away from the table where they knew the post would be delivered. Hermione was the last to arrive at the table. She nibbled on toast and drank some tea, trying to settle the butterflies in her stomach. Her head remotely ached from the hit it had taken on the tub but it was easy to ignore compared to the waiting. Everyone seemed to be too strung out to speak. Molly was too nervous to clean. She simply paced. Ron eventually ambled down the stairs and his mother got him a plate of food. After he had ate and the dishes cleared away, the silence resumed. George spoke up, "Look, an owl."

An owl flew through the open window and landed on the table. Molly did the honors and untied seven letters. She paused for a second before passing out the letters to their owners. Everyone stared at their letters for a moment before ripping them open. Ginny and Harry threw themselves into each others arms.  
"I got Harry, Mum! I got Harry! Thank the gods!" she sobbed into Harry's shoulder. Molly crushed the two of them into her chest, smiling widely.  
"I got Penelope Clearwater. That is most satisfactory." Percy muttered to everyone. Everyone grinned at eloquent way of looking at his future.  
George yelled,"Brilliant! I got Angelina Johnson. I always did like her. Now I get to shag her whenever I want." Molly tried to look at him disapprovingly but didn't succeed. She asked Charlie,"Who'd you get, dear?"  
"I got a Gryffindor from my class, Christine Smith. She was pretty hot back then, loved quidditch. Havent talked to her since we left school."  
Hermione was feeling blush rush to her cheeks as she knew that it was going to be her turn to share soon.  
"Well, I got Lavender. Hope she doesn't call me Won-Won this time. Think I'll tell her that this time. I've grown up since I was sixteen." Ron grumped.  
"You're all of eighteen now, right?" Harry joked with him.  
"Come on, Hermione, who did you get, Malfoy?" Ginny gushed.  
"Umm...no...I got...Fred." Hermione was met with absolute silence. She and Fred looked at each other and then surveyed everyone in the rooms expressions. Everyone breaks out into grins, congratulating them, except for Ron. Molly comes over and gives Hermione a hug and lets out a sigh of relief.  
"Thank the gods, I don't have to worry about you being stuck with some horrible man now, dear. You'll be with Freddie and he'll take good care of you. You just wait and see." Molly rambled on. Hermione sat back down a tad embarrassed. She carefully read through the rest of her letter while everyone else was chattering on, trying to ignore the evil looks that she and Fred were receiving from Ron.

The bond was a curious sort of magic. It starts as soon as you see the person that you are to but is not fully completed until you are married. You become attracted to the person you're bonded to and long to have children as soon as you see them. You won't have the urge to stray from your bondmate as soon as you're fully bonded in marriage. The letter goes on to explain you have three days to meet up with your bondmate after receiving your letter, one year from that date to marry, and three years from that date to produce children. It really is as if the government is using it's people as breeding stock. Hermione feels tears start to prick her eyes at being forced to marry at age eighteen. She had always wanted to get an education, but she had a strange urge to settle down after seeing Fred. She knew it was the bond and it made her angry. After abruptly excusing herself from the table so nobody would see her tears, she headed upstairs to the room she shared with Ginny.

Hermione sat on the bed and tried to compose herself. She heard heavy footsteps in the hall and quickly dashed the tears from her cheeks. Ron comes in the room and shuts the door three-quarters of the way. Hermione is on her feet in a flash.  
"Hermione, I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanna talk to you. Please take me back. I love you. You know you don't love Fred. I don't love Lavender. We can run off together. They'll never find us. We can make a go of it. Please give me a chance. I can show you how much I love you. Please." Ron begged her.  
"Ron, you know we can't. We will go to Azkaban. They'll snap our wands in two. Even if I felt that way about you and we did make it, we'd never be able to see your family again. I couldn't do that to you. Please just leave it be. I don't love you like that. Please believe me when I say that we can't keep doing this to each other. Please."

Ron shot her a look that made her want to run. But there was nowhere to run. She was trapped in Ginny's room. He closed the space between them in two long strides, wrapped his long arm around her tiny waist and the other around her head and crushed his mouth against hers. His teeth scraped against hers painfully. When she tried to pull away, he bit her tongue. She was pushing against his chest with her tiny hands and then resorted to stamping on his feet with hers but none of this seemed to have an effect on him. All of a sudden, Fred was there. One powerful hit later, Ron is unconscious on the floor of Ginny's room. Hermione had stumbled backward from the force of pushing against Ron and then nothing and landed on her bum. She looked up in time to see Fred look from Rons still form on the floor to her with a flash of jealousy in his eyes. This surprised her. She might has well have been naked in front of him this morning and it had no effect whatsoever. Now he was fighting out of jealousy. Damn bond.

Fred held out his hand to help her up. He pulled her into a hug and smoothed her hair. Hermione couldn't help it, she liked the feeling. It sent chills up her spine. He was tall enough that he could lay his cheek on top of her head while she pressed hers into his chest. She liked this position. A lot. Maybe too much. The bond kept flashing in her mind. She pulled back and looking into her crystal blue eyes. She had never noticed how clear they were. Gods, they were gorgeous.  
"Thank you. Are you tired of saving me yet?" She tried to laugh the whole situation off.  
"Well in case you missed that scenario downstairs, we're kind of engaged now so it's my permanent job to save you and take care of you now. Plus, you saved my life already. You did the best saving of all. I could never beat that." Fred smiled down into her caramel eyes. Hell, he hoped their kids got her eyes, not his boring blue ones.  
Hermione blushed slightly and leaned back into his chest. "How about we agree to save each other from now?"

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````Please review y'all! Thanks for reading! 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - Not a single review...If I don't get any soon, I'm going to assume nobody is enjoying the story and quit :( Please read and review guys...let me know what your honest opinions are. I can't improve if you guys don't tell me how (: The story is a long one, so hang tough. I'm writing every day so there will be updates almost daily, I'm hoping. Bear with me!

Chapter 7 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 15, 1998

Hermione and Fred were the first to make it down to breakfast. Hermione had slept well, to be completely truthful. Since they had received their bondmate letters, Fred had taken to sneaking into her room after Ginny had left for Harry's and sleeping with her. This act didn't get rid of her nightmares of Malfoy Manor but she found that it was extremely helpful waking up to find that she wasnt alone. Two nights ago, she had woken him screaming at the top of her lungs. He was trying to calm her when George came running over. She was horrified and now cast silencing charms on her room every night. Fred had questioned her about her nightmares then but she had told him that she really didn't want to talk about it. He didn't look happy but had let it go.

The night before they had spent a spent a good time snuggling while she read him a muggle love story. She had to admit that the feel of his arm under her neck, lips against her neck, and other arms thrown protectively around her waist was one of the best feelings in the world. She could lay like that all day and she suspected from the way he kept pulling her closer and closer, Fred could too.

"Did Harry and Gin get in ok last night?" Hermione questions Molly, nibbling on toast.  
"I'm assuming so. I heard them sneaking up the stairs at half past eleven. I waited up."  
Harry and Ginny had gone on a date the night before, their first real one since the Battle of Hogwarts. Neither one of them had really wanted to deal with publicity but they were going crazy being cooped up in the house. Everyone had started to trickle down the stairs wanting breakfast talking about their plans for the day.  
"Now, don't go far you lot, Kingsley is coming by to talk you all." Molly informed them.  
"Wonder what he wants...help rebuilding?" George asked.  
"You know, that makes me think. We need to get one rebuilding the shop. The war is over. Not that we need the money but I'm bloody bored. We need to get out of the house and do something. Re-opening is brilliant idea! What do you say, Georgie?" Fred asked him.  
"That is a fantastic idea indeed. Cant believe I didn't think of it myself. Diagon Alley will need some cheer I'm sure. We can head over today and start some clear up. Anyone who wants to join is welcome of course."

Harry and Ginny head down the stairs with sparkling eyes and grins on their faces. They sit in their chairs and begin to eat their eggs before they get cold. Fred and George give them the good news that they've decided to re-open the shop. Ginny is instantly excited and volunteers to go help clear up with them. Of course, Harry wants to go along as well. Anything to get out of the house for awhile. Molly tells them that Kingsley will be arriving shortly to speak with them.  
"Well actually, Mum, I wanted to show you this. Harry bought me my ring last night. And we set our wedding date last night. August 27. We have just over two months to plan. I'll be seventeen then too. Hermione, I really want you to be Maid of Honour. Please say yes." Ginny spats out all at once.  
Molly and Hermione rush to see her ring. It's a gold band with a large emerald in the middle with two smaller diamonds on either side of it.  
"Oh Ginny, it's lovely! And of course, I'll be your maid of honour. Why would I say no?" Hermione answered.  
"I don't know, just nerves I guess." But Ginny glanced at Ron and Hermione understood. He would be best man of course. Molly was excited, finding parchment to send notes to Arthur at work and Bill and Fleur to let them know of the date.

There was a faint crack in the distance as someone had apparated at the apparition point. Kingsley no doubt. Molly met him at the door. "Oh Minister, please come in."  
"Now Molly, we've been friends for far too long for you to call me Minister. It's King or Kingsley. You know that." he chuckled.  
She laughed. "Well let me just get you some tea and toast. You sit right there."  
Kingsley looked from Hermione to Ron to Harry. "I've come to offer you all jobs. Harry, Ron, I know that you both are interested in becoming aurors. In light of your amazing wandwork during the war, I'm willing to offer you both positions with the Ministry in those positions. Normally the training is a period of three years before you are a full fledged auror but I would be willing to forgo two of those three years in light of your experience in the field and only make you train for one. Hermione, I know that you are interested in rights for magical creatures. I would be willing to offer to you a position in our Magical Law Department or a position under Charlie in the Magical Creatures Department. I understand now that this ridiculous marriage law that has passed you won't be getting your N.E.W.T.s so I would of course forgo those results for you and base your position and salary off of your O.W.L. results, which if I remember correctly, are exemplary. I, of course, would give you all a week or two to think your decisions through."  
Harry and Ron looked at each other with grins spread across their faces. This was their dream come true, since their fourth year when Barty Crouch Jr. had put the idea in their heads.  
"King, we'll do it!" They chorused.  
Hermione looked more solemn. "I think I'm going to have to think about it for a few days Kingsley. Thank you very much for the offer. I will most definetly let you know."  
After giving the boys more information about meeting places and times, Kingsley departed and they heard the faint pop of his disapparition.

Hermione sets off to go change into ratty clothes to work in. Fred seems surprised when she shows up as they're getting ready to depart for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.  
"Of course I want to come. It's your shop. I'm going to marry you. I want to be involved in everything to do with you. Well at least everything you want me to be a part of. Unless you don't want me to..." She was cut off abruptly as he walked over and took her face into his hands.  
"Mia, of course I want you to be a part of it. I just didnt' want to force you. You can have any part of me you want. Whenever you want. I will always want you by my side. Don't forget that." Hermione shivered as he brushed his thumb across her lower lip. Her insides tingled at the sudden use of an intimate nickname. She smiled slightly and nodded. He leaned down and brushed a light kiss against her lips, whispery soft. Her heart thudded in her chest and she prayed he couldn't hear it. He simply smiled, slung his arm around her slender shoulders and yelled for his siblings to hurry up.

It didn't take long to clean up the mess left behind by the Death Eaters. They even worked on restocking shelves with the stock that they had left behind. More would have to be made. They put in a hard days work though. They all apparated back to the Burrow together to find that Molly had made a wonderful spread for supper. They enjoyed their meal and tea, sat in the living room and spent some family time playing some Exploding Snap for a bit, and then decided to bid everyone goodnight.

Hermione couldn't quit thinking about the kiss that Fred had given her. It was nothing like the ones that Ron had attacked her with. Or even the ones that Krum had given her. That tiny feathery kiss had given her more butterflies that any of them put together. She had gone into the loo and changed into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth and came out to ask Fred what he wanted to do til they fell asleep. He had a devilish grin on his face. He was laying on the bed with his head propped on his hand, patting the bed next to him. She couldn't help but to grin back and oblige him. She hopped onto the bed next to him and the words were almost out her mouth to ask him when his lips were on hers again. Not feather light this time, but not demanding either. He pulled back.  
"Mia, do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"  
She laughed a little, "Sure. Pure veela."  
Fred didn't laugh. "Seriously. I always thought so. Just never said so because of Ron. But now I can say so all I want." He kissed her again, this time lightly probing with his tongue. She allowed him entrance. He tasted like lemons and pine. It was wonderful. His hands went to her lower back and pulled her closer but not so suddently that it frightened her. His mouth left hers and he began kissing her jaw, trailing kisses towards her ear. Her heart felt like it would explode. Her hand reached up and tangled in his hair. His hand went to her shoulder and traced down her arm until it stopped abruptly when it felt something raised. Fred pulled away from her neck and pulled her hand out of his hair to look at her arm. Hermione instantly knew what he was looking at. Mudblood. Her hand slapped over the scar in instinct.

"Hermione, what the bloody hell is this!? Don't tell me you don't want to talk about it either! We're supposed to be saving each other, remember? Let me help you. This is what you dream about, isn't it?" he scolds her.  
Tears well up in her eyes. He instantly felt guilty for sounding so harsh.  
"Come on, Mia, you can talk to me. I just wanna help. And you never know, the nightmares might go away." he amended softly.

She moves her hands and he sees the thick, raised, red scars that are starting to turn white. Mudblood. He doesn't know how he ever missed it before. Because she always wears long sleeves except in bed, thats how. She looks up at him and he can tell that she's waiting for judgement. He gives her none.  
She starts. "It was at Malfoy Manor. Greyback and some snatchers had caught us in the woods because Harry wasn't thinking and said Voldemort's name. They were on us before we could even do anything. They recognized me, then Harry even though I was able to shoot a jinx at him. They took us to Malfoy Manor to hand us to Voldemort. As they were having Draco try to identify us, Bellatrix saw Gryffindors Sword in Greyback's hand. She went crazy and he told her that he got it out of my bag. She put Harry, Ron, Dean, and Griphook in the cellar with Luna and Mr. Ollivander while she kept me upstairs to question me. She used the Cruciatus Curse on me at first but I lied and told her that we had found the sword and it was a fake. Then she cut mudblood into my arm thinking that would make me tell her it was the real one. She had Draco bring Griphook from the basement to verify that it was a fake sword. He corroborated my story,even though she cut his face with a knife. Somehow, I'm still not quite sure how, Harry called Dobby and he apparated Luna, Dean and Mr. Ollivander to Shell Cottage and then back. He let Ron and Harry out of the basement, they stole Wormtail's wand and rescued me. As we were escaping with Dobby though, Bellatrix threw a knife and it killed Dobby. That's what I dream of at night. Being tortured by Bellatrix LeStrange. Being filleted by her knife."

Fred was horrified. He had no idea that she had gone through anything this tragic. She was stronger than he had even thought she was. No wonder she had been scared to death to be paired up with Malfoy. He had stood by and watched her be tortured. Listened to her screams. Rage rippled through his body. He felt her stiffen up and pull away.  
"What's wrong, love? Why are you pulling away?" he asked, looking down at her questioningly. "I could feel you getting mad and -" he cut her off.  
"Don't ever be scared of me. I will never hurt you, not matter how mad I am. Even if I'm mad at you, which I'm not. I will never force you to do something that you don't want to do. I'm not my brother. Please understand that. Right now, I'm extremely mad that you had to go through all that. Especially that Malfoy just watched and did nothing. But love, that scar is proof of how strong you are. Don't ever be ashamed that you survived. Mia, wear that scar proudly because it means you were strong enough, smart enough, brave enough, to persevere and make it through a situation that most people would have given up in. Now if you wake up in the night with those nightmares, you make sure you wake me up." Fred leaned down and kissed her scars. Hermione looked at him with tears in her eyes and took his hand in hers and kissed it.  
"Thank you." She whispered.  
She laid down, pulled his arm under her head, closed her eyes and the last thing she remembered before dropping off to sleep was him tracing her scar softly with his calloused fingers and thinking it felt nice. 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- Hope you all are enjoying the story...please leave honest reviews! Please excuse my spelling and grammatical errors, as always, and my American ways in an English world of writing (:

Disclaimer: ( I keep forgetting!) I own only the plot.

Chapter 8 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 22, 1998

The household overall had seemed to be running a little smoother and happier. Ron still had his surly moments, but that was just Ron. He would get grumpy with everyone but Harry, Harry would go talk to him, he would get a little better, and the whole thing would start all over again. Hermione seemed to take the brunt of his bad moods when they hit though. She would simply disappear to her room, or outside to her tree where she would read for hours on end.

Ron had started bringing Lavender round for family dinners. It was quite awkward at first, but everyone seemed determined to push through, especially Molly. It pained her to see her family at odds. Lavender, it seemed, had no love lost for Hermione as well. Hermione kept her distance from her as well. It was getting quite taxing, avoiding people, but she would do whatever she could to keep the peace.

After a couple dinners in the Weasley house, Ron and Lavender would disappear for walks, which was fine by Hermione. Ron's mood was starting to improve, somewhat, and she had a feeling that it had more to do with shagging, than actual walking. Not that it was her business, or that she cared, she simply hoped that they were being careful so there were no early pregnancies. Molly's heart might stop if that happened.

Dinner that night was going to be a big family occasion. Bill and Fleur would be coming, as well as all the fiances. Hermione had a feeling that someone was announcing a date but had no idea who. She shared her thoughts with Fred in private.  
"Do you think someone is going to announce a wedding date?"  
"I don't know. Probably. Who cares about them. Come here you." He growled at her playfully.  
He made a swipe for her and she giggled, just barely wriggling out of his reach. He lunged for her and threw her over his shoulder and started to spin in circles. After fifteen seconds or so, he flopped them both on the bed, dizzy. Hermione sat up, still giggling. He reached over and pulled her over on top of him. Brushing her hair out of her face, he told her, "You look like you could use a good snogging." He pulled her mouth down onto his with a need that set her whole body on fire. His fingers got caught in her hair. Her hands rested on his chest and she couldn't help but think how muscular it was. Quidditch had been good to him. His hands left her hair and traveled to her waist. His hands were so large they could almost circle her waist completely. For some reason she liked that. They came to rest on her hips, squeezing slightly. Her insides warmed.

Since she had worn her hair straight that day, when he moved his hands from her hair it fell in a curtain around their faces as they kissed. It was so bloody hot. It was almost to her waist and he absolutely loved it. She was just so tiny that it made him want to protect her all the time. She damn sure wasn't like any other girl he had ever been with. As his hands traveled down her waist and hips, he thought about how big she made his hands feel. She was absolutely perfect. How could Ron ever have fucked this up? He flipped her over and trailed kisses down her jaw, then sucking on her earlobe. She moaned slightly in his ear.

"Hermione, dear, can you come down and help me with supper?" Molly yelled up from the kitchen. "Sure, Molly, give me just a minute!" She yelled back down.  
Fred groaned. "She has impeccable timing, I swear. That woman will be the death of me!"  
Hermione swatted him on the shoulder. "Frederick Gideon Weasley! Who said you would have gotten any further than that anyways? I'm planning on making you wait til we're married."  
He smiled at her. "I think this is a conversation for later, Mia. I need to go cool off and you need to go help my mother cook, love. Later, I promise." He gave her a quick kiss and as she walked out the door.

Hermione, Ginny, and Fleur helped Molly get the rest of the food made and on the table as everyone else finished arriving. It was a feast in itself. They ate in the garden since there were sixteen of them and there was no way the Burrow could hold that many. After most people had pushed their plates away, but before the plates had been cleared, George stood up and cleared his throat.  
"Well, everyone, brilliant news! Angie and I have set a date. October 19th is the lucky day for us. It's going to be spectactular and of course, we want you all to be there. Fred, as my other half, you are best man. You know this." Everyone whistled and applauded. Percy stood up and smiled. "Actually, Penny and I have set a date as well, November first. We didn't see the point in waiting around for too long so we're just going to jump on in and get it done." "That's three of six to set dates!" Bill commented a little loudly. Fred shot him a dirty look. "Bill, we have a whole year." Hermione squeezed his hand under the table, then got up and started to clear the table. Fleur and Molly followed suit and before long the meal was behind them and everyone's eyes were starting to droop.

Harry and Ginny announced they were heading to bed, George was heading to Angelina's flat to spend some time with her discussing the wedding, Bill and Fleur were heading home, Ron was going on a "walk" with Lavender, so Fred and Hermione decided to go to bed as well. It was still a bit early but Hermione figured they could read or "amuse themselves" in other way. They bade those remaining goodnight, congratulated Percy again, and headed upstairs for the night.

Hermione made for the dresser and got her pyjamas out, shorts and a cami tank top. She headed for the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. When she came out, Fred was laying on her bed in shorts and a tshirt. She quickly cast the silencing charms with a wave of her wand. As she sat down, she pulled a brush through her long hair. Fred rolled onto his side. She looked down at him and could see the desire in his eyes. She had never shown this much skin before, even though this was what she had been wearing when she had hit her head on the tub. He reached his hand out and brushed his thumb along the skin that was showing between her tank top and shorts. His eyes looked faraway as she continued to brush her hair.  
"Hermione, have you been with anybody?" he asked suddenly, looking up into her caramel eyes. She thought she saw a flash of jealousy for just a moment, but wasn't sure. Hermione is instantly embarrassed that he would ask but knows that it would come up eventually. She has to admit that she was curious about him as well. She pulls a lock of hair forward and continues to brush it, looking downward.  
"No. I've just never felt that way for anyone. And let's face it, I was never that popular at school. I was the bossy know-it-all that people only talked to because I was friends with Harry Potter."

Fred is speechless. He never would have guessed that his fiance was a virgin. She was so bloody beautiful. And smart. She was a right fit bird. How could people not want to be with her. He didn't understand it.  
"I thought you were reluctant because of Ron being a prat. I didn't realize that it was because you were a virgin. How are you a virgin?" It must have come out sounding judgemental because her caramel eyes started to flash. It reminded him of Ginny.  
"Well I'm sorry, Frederick, that I didn't just sleep around with anyone who wanted to get their jollies in school. I'm sorry you have to get a wife that will be inexperienced in the sack." She slammed the brush down and started to push off the bed. He sat up quickly and snatched her wrist before she could stand all the way.  
"Mia, I didn't mean it like that. At all. I'm glad that you're a virgin, honestly. It means I don't have to share you with anyone, ever. I love that. I just meant that I don't understand how anybody could ever be blind enough to not want to try to shag you. You're smart, beautiful, brave, and have a heart of gold. Who wouldn't want you? That's all I'm saying, I swear, Mia."  
She visibly cooled. "Well, I believe in feeling something for someone that you're going to be with. I've kissed you, Ron, and Viktor Krum. And the manhandling that Ron did. Gods, that means I've been further with Ron than with you. That makes me sick."  
Fred pulled her down gently to kiss him. "We could change that. We don't have to go all the way, Mia. It's up to you. Like I told you, I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."  
She smiled a little. "Who have you been with Fred? Who do I need to be jealous of?" He pulled away. The question he had been dreading. Grimacing, he awswered.  
"Don't be mad, alright? I've been with four people. I wasn't dating any of them. They were just flings, no feelings. I know, it's terrible of me. Please don't think less of me. Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Demelza Robbins, and Parvati Patil." He grabbed her hand with one of his hands, playing with her hair with the other. "Do you hate me?" he asked.  
"No, I couldn't hate you for things you did when you were young. We barely knew each other. I was just your kid brothers friend. Bushy hair, buck teeth, no figure. They're beautiful. I get it, Fred. I'm one of the few that holds with the "having feelings" notions. I could never hate you. Things have changed so much now." Her voice gave way a little at the end of her statement.  
"Mia, you were always beautiful. They were just getting my leg over. You mean something. I'm not just saying that. You've meant something since the Battle when you saved my life. I realized you were something special if you were willing to die for me. I admit I didn't realize it until the morning we got our letters because I realized I was gonna have to watch you walk out of my life into some others mans. I just knew you were special. You're far more important than the four of them put together, Mia." he assured her.

He sat back against the wall and tucked her under his arm, brushing the white skin of her side again. She leaned her head forward and her hair fell across his chest. He ran his fingers through it as she rested her hands on his chest. After bending down to kiss her hair, she looked up at him. "You know just what to say to make me feel better." she whispered.

He put a finger under her chin and pulled her up to his lips. Gently, he prised his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced explosively in each others mouths for he didn't know how long - seconds, minutes, hours. His hand traveled down the side of of her neck and down to her shoulder. Her hand came up and gripped his hair. God he loved that. Reaching over, he gripped each hip in his hands and lifted her onto his lap without relinquishing her mouth. She moaned softly. Both of her hands rested on top of his shoulders while his rested on her bare waist. She leaned forward into the kiss, deepening it. He moaned into her mouth as her breasts brushed his chest. His hands slid up her back. He could feel the chills go up her spine.

She pulled back suddenly. Pulling him away from the wall, she grappled at his shirt. He understood instantly, helping her pull his shirt off. She leaned in against him again, kissing him more passionately than she had yet. Her breasts pressed on his bare chest and he could hardly contain himself. He could feel the wetspot in his boxers. Her hands were roaming over his chest now.

He pulled her back from him gently. "Mia, don't do anything just because of what I told you. We have plenty of time, love." She smiled as he leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. Pulling her down into the bed, he buried his face into her hair while thanking the gods he gotten her as a fiance.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` I make no promises for updates of the weekend, but will do my best to have a new chapter up on Monday! If I have enough time with my busy schedule I will do try to get one in on Sunday...hope y'all keep reading! 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N- Are y'all liking the story? Let me know (: honest opinions please! Enjoy...

Disclaimer: I only own the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 9 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 27, 1998

Fred and Hermione were up early. It was the big day. Weasley's Wizards Wheezes was reopening today. She let the twins the shower first because she knew that she was going to take longer to get ready. She wanted to look nice for Fred today. Ginny had helped her pick out the perfect outfit for today since the twins had told her she didn't have to wear a uniform, just a nametag. Hermione had even learned a charm to put waves in her hair rather than her regular curls.

After Hermione had charmed her hair, applied a little makeup, and put on the perfect outfit, she swept downstairs. Fred wolf whistled at her as she walked to the table, her near waist length hair swinging against her back. She knew he loved her hair long and worn down. He reached over, put a finger under her chin and kissed her. "You look fabulous, Mia." George slung his arm over her shoulder and kissed her cheek, "Hermione, you are one fit bird if I do say so myself. It's a good thing you're with my twin." Harry and Ginny laughed along with the twins. Ron stared openly at her but said nothing.

While nibbling at some eggs and toast, Hermione scribbled a note to Kingsley thanking him for the opportunity but turning him down for now. She told him she hoped that she could take him up on his offer in a few years after her children were old enough. "Percy, can I borrow Hermes?" she asked.  
"Sure, Hermione go right ahead." She attached the letter to his leg and sent him off.

As she, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry were walking to the apparition point, Fred asked her what she had sent off. She told him and he stopped suddenly.  
"Mia, you didn't have to do that. Don't give up your dreams for me or our children. You can have it all. I'll help you."  
Hermione took both his hands in hers. "Freddie, I want to be home with our kids for the first few years. Or at least be here. Or maybe a part time job if we need the money. I just don't want a full career when I know that our children are going to need me."  
He drew her into his arms. "Love, we don't need the money. Nor will we. I can more than support us with the shop. If you want to help in the shop you can. If you want to work, you can. If you want to stay home forever, you can. You do what you want, love. I have a fortune saved back right now. And with the reopening, we'll be set. Don't you worry." She smiled at him. They caught up with the rest of of the Weasleys and they all apparated.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had people lined up outside the door. Hermione readied the register and the other four did some last minute stocking before George finally lowered all the protective wards and unlocked the doors. It was a mad rush. By the time that they locked the doors at six oclock, Hermione was beat. She had gotten through the day with asking only three questions about the register and prices. The twins agreed that the reopening was a better success that the actual opening. Restocking was minimal as Harry and Ginny had been working on it all day. George offered to go drop off the money at Gringotts. Harry dropped into a chair and Ginny into his lap.  
"I could go for a stiff drink right about now." Harry told them.  
"I'm with you on that one, mate." Fred agreed.

Fred began muttering the protective enchantments as everyone else began gathering all their things to return to the Burrow. After returning home, Fred grabbed Hermione's hand as they strolled up the walk.  
"Mia, how about we take a midnight walk tonight? Could I tempt you?" Fred brushed long strands of hair off her shoulder.  
She stopped, smiled coyly, put her hands on his chest and told him, "I think I could be persuaded." She gave him a kiss. His heart started to race.  
"It's a date then." He promised her.  
"I should go help your mum with dinner. The whole family is coming over. Go relax Mr. Weasley. You earned it." He brushed her lower lip with his thumb.  
"No more than you, Mia, love. I need to go work on some new products with Georgie anyways. See you at dinner." She smiled at him and they parted ways once inside the door.

She and Ginny helped Molly make dinner. With combined efforts, it wasn't much of a task. Molly even convinced Ron to set the tables in the garden before Lavender got there. The tables groaned under all the food they set out. Everyone sat down and began to dish out their favorites. However, it didn't take long before the night started to go terribly wrong for Hermione. "Hermione, to be honest with you, that shirt does absolutely nothing for you. You need a different color." Lavender commented. Everyone looked at Hermione expectantly. She looked down at the deep blue color of her shirt.  
"Well I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks, Lavender." Ron didn't say a word. Not five minutes later...  
"I can't wait til we're married Ronnie. I promise I won't be a tease though. Not all girls are teases." Ron smirked and chuckled under his breath. Hermione looked up at Ron. Fred's hand tightened around her. Ten minutes after that...  
"Hermione, I can give you some pointers for the bedroom. I know you still haven't swiped your V-card so Fred probably won't be very happy without a little instruction." Hermione instantly ducked her head in embarrassment. Fred started to speak but was cut off by the sound of a chair being thrown backwards. Ginny had stood up and drawn her wand.  
"Look here you tart, you will not talk to my -" Ginny was cut off by Molly. "Enough. There will be no wands out at the table. Ginny, sit down. Lavender, may I please speak to you over by the tree please?" Ginny's eyes were flashing but she sat down. Lavender stood up and walked to tree with Molly. Hermione's eyes had started drip tears. Fred reached over and wiped them away. He cupped the side of her face and whispered in her ear.  
"Mia, you know how I feel about you. You'll make me happy regardless. Don't listen to her and don't be embarrassed." He kissed her and she smiled and nodded.

Fred cast a quick charm towards his mother to listen in. They had just reached the tree so he hadn't missed anything. "Lavender, I am aware that you are going to be a part of this family but so is Hermione. Hermione has been a part of this family since she was twelve years old. I understand that you both have a history with Ron, but she is with Fred now. There is no reason for you to be jealous or spiteful. She has been nothing but kind and respectful to you. While you are in my house you will be the same to her. If she is anything but that to you, I will give her the same talk. Is that understood?" Lavender nodded solemnly, looking every part of a child who had just been scolded. She walked back over to the table and Molly called over out. "Ron, may I talk to you?"  
He huffed but got out of his seat and headed towards the tree.  
"Ronald, I have never been more disappointed in you than I am now. I would never have thought that you would turn your back on your friend. You let Lavender say those horrible things to her just now, and laughed about it. You need to treat her better. I understand that you had feelings for her, she didn't return them, and now she's with Fred. But that isn't something she could help. She didn't pass the law. And I know what you did to her. Don't think that anything happens in this house that I don't know about. I'm glad that the twins were there to help her when you lost your head. I'm telling you right now, that if you ever do something like that again and Fred doesn't hex you to death, I will. I love that girl like she's my own. You're my son and I love you but I won't have you mistreating her. Now go back to your fiance but start treating your friend better." With that Molly stalked off, leaving Ron in the darkness by tree.

After Molly returned, Charlie stood up. "Well, Christine and I have officially set a date. December seventh and it will all be official." George and Bill got up and started clapping Charlie on the back. The women were congratulating Christine, trying to make her feel more part of the group. Charlie summonned the couple bottles of firewhiskey that he had brought to celebrate the occasion. Fred poured himself and Hermione a glass, although she tried to refuse. "Come on, Mia, have you ever tried it? You, of all people, know that we only live once." he taunted her.  
"Well, no, it just never seemed like something I would like to do. I don't like to be out of control."  
"Just try it once. Get tipsy. You just might like it. If you don't like it, I'll never make you try it again." Hermione agreed.  
It burned all the way down her throat. Burned her stomach too. Then the fire was gone and she felt warm inside. The table seemed to get louder as they passed the bottle around. Harry and Ginny were kissing at the table. Hermione took another drink, a bigger drink. It still burned but wasn't as bad now that she knew what to expect. She looked over at Fred's glass and saw that he had drank twice as much as she had. He smiled at her. She took another drink. He leaned towards her, took a piece of her hair and started twirling it in his fingers. "Do you like it? Do you feel terrible yet?" he asked her.  
She smiled at him through her curtain of hair, "No, not yet. You've drank twice as much as me though. I'm definetly not as skilled as you."  
"You won't be able to drink as much as me, love. You're a tiny thing. I weigh twice as much as you. We don't want to kill you. Let's just shoot for tipsy tonight." He let go of her hair, put his hand on her thigh and leaned in to kiss her. He pulled away and took another drink, as did she. She could feel the drink in her head now and she had to admit it felt quite nice. Not having any worries was nice for once. Ron was laughing loudly at the other end of the table. Bill and Charlie were telling stories to Fleur and Christine about their Hogwarts days. George and Angelina had snuck off already. Harry and Ginny should sneak off themselves before they get called on by Molly. They were getting quite indecent. Percy and Penelope had excused themselves after just one drink of firewhiskey saying they had an early morning. "How about that walk?" Fred asked her. She smiled and nodded. He took one last drink so she matched him. She was a sport. They got up, hand in hand, heading for the path around the pond.

After walking away from the crowd, Fred begins conversation. "So I listened in to the conversations Mum had with Lavender and Ron. You would be proud, she stayed calm. She also knows what Ron did to you. I don't think there's keeping secrets from that woman. She called him out on it, told him if he did it again and I didn't hex him to death then she would." Hermione looked mortified.  
"Oh my gods, the one thing I didn't want was for everyone to know and your parents have known all along. How embarrassing!" she whispered with her hand over her mouth.  
"Mia, I truly don't know why you think you need to be embarrassed. You didn't ask for him to attack you. You didn't bring any of that on. It's just one more thing you were brave enough to live through. I'm just sorry it had to be my prat of a brother."  
She nodded. "I understand that. I just don't want to go and broadcast it to everyone, although pretty much everyone already knows. Just Charlie, Bill, and Percy don't. Ugh." "And they never will, love. Ginny and Harry won't say anything. You know Ron won't. Quit worrying." he assured her.  
"I know, I know, let's just stop talking about it. It makes me want to hex him and your mum said no wands at the table." She bit back a giggle.  
"Ahh that's my girl!" He took her down to the pond and sat her on the dock next to him.

"Mia, did I tell you how incredibly beautiful you are today?" he asked, leaning in for a kiss. She smiled and answered between kisses. "I think you might have mentioned it." He lifted her by her hips onto his lap. He knew she liked that. "Just checking, love." He captured her mouth for a kiss, tasting the firewhiskey. He could smell the scent of peaches in her hair. God, he loved that smell. She hooked her elbows behind his shoulders, both her hands in his hair. His hands traveled up her back, under her shirt. She moaned and shivered in delight. She let go of him and pushed back, breaking their kiss. Reaching down, she pulled her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra, flinging it on top of her discarded shirt. She shook her hair out and it fell perfectly, chocolate on vanilla against her pale skin. Practically ripping my shirt off, she threw it in the pile with her shirt. We were skin on skin.

Leaning forward, her hair tickling my chest, she kisses me again, this time her breasts pressing against my bare chest. My hands run up her back and she moans again and her nipples get hard against me. Then I'm moaning into her mouth. Her hands run down my shoulders and chest, as she leans back. Taking in the sight of her, I'm astounded how I never noticed how absolutely perfect she was. Brushing her hair back from her shoulders, I lean forward to trail kisses down her neck. I stop and nibble at her collarbone. She moans into my hair. The wetness in my boxers is growing. Brushing the tops of my fingers along the sides of her breasts, I rub my thumbs across her nipples. She arches her back in response. Burying my face in the top of her breasts, I breathe in the scent of her. Her perfume is exquisite. Faint but intoxicating. She smells clean. My hands run over her soft, flat belly. I lean down just a little further and catch her nipple in my mouth, gently sucking. She's pulling my hair and moaning. I reach for my wand and cast a silencing charm. Moving to the next breast, her back is arched again. I come up to her neck again, wanting her mouth.

After kissing her again, she stops and smiles at me. "I think I like firewhiskey. But, Fred, I'm so tired. Can we just sleep right here? It's so nice."  
He smiled at her and kissed her on the nose. "Sure, love. Just a moment." He transfigured his shirt into a pillow and her shirt into a blanket. Pulling her up against him, he covered them up, hid her bra under the blanket, curled his arm around her waist but cupped her perfect breast this time, and they both fell asleep.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````OK, guys, gimme something. Too gushy? Thoughts? More action is coming, I promise. Let me know... 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- Alrighty, another chapter! So excited (: Hope y'all like! Once again, please excuse my American slang (; Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 10 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` June 28, 1998

Hermione was aware of the sunshine on her face first. Next, she realized that she heard water lapping against a short and birds chirping not far in the distance. It all came rushing back to her. She and Fred on the dock, the firewhiskey, no shirts, falling asleep...it had seemed like a dream. Aware, suddenly, that she had no shirt on, she started. Not enough to wake Fred, who was in his usual pose, wrapped around her. Except he had his hand cupped around her bare breast. She lay still, pondering the situation at hand. The more she lay wrapped in his warmth, the more she realized that she liked it. The memories of last night replayed in her mind, making her blush but heating her insides as well.

Fred began to stir. He buried his face further into her neck, inhaling her scent. She smiled to herself. "Finally awake, Mr. Weasley?" She asked him. He smiled with his eyes still closed. "Mia, have I ever told you that you smell so bloody good? Your hair smells like peaches."  
She laughed low in her chest. "No, actually you haven't, but thank you. I've been waiting on you to wake. We have plans for the day, remember? You have to go to the shop with George and Harry and I have to go with your mum and Ginny to start planning the wedding." Fred groaned.  
"No. That's not fair. Ginny can't have you. I'm going to be selfish today and make you come to the shop with me." He started to tickle her in the ribs. Hermione was giggling now. "I'll come with you tomorrow, but we only have two months to get her dream wedding planned. I have to help her, you know that. She would help me." "I know, I know, it's all about the bride. I have a feeling you'll be reminding me of that." She swatted him in the arm. As she sat up and hooked her bra into place, he transfigured their pillow and blanket back into their shirts and they redressed. They strolled hand in hand back up to the Burrow, not wanting to part ways but knowing they needed to.  
"You remember last night, right?" Fred asked her.  
"Of course I do, I wasn't wasted out of my mind!" Hermione cried indignantly.  
"Do you regret it?"  
"No, I don't regret it. I actually wish it could have happened sooner but I was just too nervous. I'm not nervous anymore. Guess that was the firewhiskey, since I remember making the first move."  
"Love, you definetly made the first move. I'm glad you're not nervous anymore, but don't ever be nervous with me. I already told you I won't make you anything you don't want to. Just remember that." He gave her a quick kiss as he headed off to the shower.

Hermione used Percy, Charlie, and Bill's shower while Fred showered. She let the hot water work out her sore muscles from sleeping on the hard dock all night. Smiling, she rubbed the peach shampoo into her hair and let it do it's work while she soaped off. Looking down, she noticed a small bruise next to her right nipple. Her hand went to her mouth. Fred had given her a love bite! She didn't remember it hurting and it didn't hurt now, her skin must be really tender and bruise easily. Reminding herself to yell at him later, she rinsed off and crawled out. She dried off, performed a drying charm, left her hair in curls today, applied her usual light makeup and perfume since she was going out, and dressed.

She walked down the stairs today, almost seeming to float. The smile just wouldn't leave her face. Sitting down at the table, Fred and George flashed her a knowing smile and she had a feeling that Fred had told George everything that had happened at the dock. She felt her cheeks get hot. As Fred reached out to rub her leg reassuringly, she spoke the Ginny.  
"So have you decided if you want any bridesmaids?"  
"Well, you're maid of honour, I think I want Luna, but I'm picking her dress, and Phlegm. She's grown on me over the last couple years."  
"Ginny, don't call-"  
"Oh Mum, I won't, I haven't in forever, it was for old time's sake. Don't get your knickers in a twist."  
Hermione chuckled to herself and nibbled on toast. She took a sip of the steaming tea and looked at Harry.  
"That means you'll need two groomsmen besides Ron as your best man. Ideas?"  
Harry looked back and forth from Hermione to Ginny. "I chose Ron and helped pick out Ginny's ring. I'll write my vows and my speech for the wedding. You guys do the rest, I don't care. Do whatever makes you happy, Gin. Just charge it to my vault at Gringotts, alright. I don't care who stands up with me besides Ron, as long as it's not Malfoy or someone like him. Alright?"  
Ginny pouted for a second but smiled at him. "Ok Harry. How about Neville for one? And Bill for the other?"  
Harry stood up with Fred and George and scraped his plates. "Perfect Gin. We're gonna go. We'll see you guys tonight. You girls have fun planning and spending my money." He smiled and bent down to kiss her. Fred came over and slipped a hand behind Hermione's neck beneath her hair. He bent to kiss her as well. "I'll miss you, Mia. Don't forget, you're mine tomorrow. My sister can't have you're planning skills every day." She smiled as they walked out the door and they heard the faint pop of them apparating away.

Both girls shook their heads after the boys with faint smiles on their faces. Molly finished wiping off the table. "Alright girls, let's get down to business. Ginny, you need to owl Luna and Fleur and see if they'll be your bridesmaids and what date works for you all to go dress shopping. Make sure you include your wedding date." Ginny dutifully went off in search of parchment and a quill. As she was writing, Hermione was thinking out loud. "We need to discuss colors, if you want a theme, place, decorations, menu, reception, invitations, fitting dates for the boys, owling Neville and Bill and asking them if they'll stand with Harry, renting a tent, getting an official, actually Ginny give me the quill and parchment so I can make a list..."

Hermione started a list. It became quite extensive. Ginny decided right away she didn't want a themed wedding, she wanted it at the Burrow like Bill and Fleur's, her mother's cooking of course, full reception, and the colors to be ice blue and white. Fleur had flooed in by this point, fit to burst.  
"Oh Ginny, thank you for asking me! It would be my pleasure to be your bridesmaid. Do you need 'elp planning?" she gushed.  
"Sure you can help us. Harry gave us free rein to spend his money. Would Bill want to stand with him?" "I'm sure 'e would 'ave no problem with it. 'e would be 'onored. I'll accept for 'im. Just mark 'im down. If 'e 'as a problem with it, I'll let you know."  
"Brilliant. Thank him for me, will you? Guess we should owl Neville right quick. We'll just borrow Hermes, Percy will never know. Harry really needs to get a new owl." Ginny scribbled out another note and sent it off to Neville.

As they began to discuss places on the property to hold the nuptials, an owl flew in holding a note with Ginny's name on it. Hermione recognized Luna's scrawl. Ginny untied it and read it. "She is pleased to be asked to be my bridesmaid and accepts. She's getting ready to leave the country on holiday, however, and wants to know if we can go dress shopping in two weeks time when she gets back. Well that should be perfect. We should be able to get a lot of stuff taken care of by then. I'll owl her back and let her know that's fine. Fleur, does say, July 15th, work for you?"  
"Oh that is perfect for me! I just 'ave to let the goblins know that I need the day off and they let me do what I want. I will let them know tomorrow. Ooooh I'm so excited! Ginny, you're going to be so beautiful." she exclaimed. Ginny smiled. "Hermione, I know you aren't doing anything except going to help the twins so I know you can go. Mum, you don't have plans, right?  
"Of course not, dear. And if I did, I'd change them. I wouldn't miss my daughter wedding dress shopping for the world!" Ginny scribbled a note out to Luna and told her to meet them at the Burrow on July 15 and they would go dress shopping and to have fun on her holiday. After sending her letter off, the reply from Neville came. He was thrilled to be asked to stand with Harry, a great honor. The date worked for him and to just let him know when the fitting date was and he would be there.  
"Bloody hell, this is already starting to come together and we haven't a knut." Ginny exclaimed.  
Fleur's laugh tinkled through the house. "You have barely started yet. You'll be ready for it to just be over by the time your day comes. What do you want to do today?"  
Ginny looked expectantly at Hermione. Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Why are you looking at me? It's your wedding!" "Well you always know what to do next. Harry told me so." Ginny said with a smile.  
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Well if it was me, I would get someone lined out to perform the ceremony. Can't have a wedding without someone to marry you."  
"Excellent plan, Hermione! See, Harry was right." Ginny scrawled yet another letter out to the Ministry requesting someone to marry them on August 27 and sent it off with Pig.  
"We're really going to have to invest in more owls before we plan another wedding. This is ridiculous."  
"Well, how about we all head to Diagon Alley and start thinking about decorations and such. See if anything else catches your fancy Gin?" Molly suggested.  
Ginny nodded and they all cleared away their tea cups. Walking towards the apparition point, Hermione suggested they all apparate together. Grasping hands, they let Ginny take the lead.

They appeared outside of the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny intending to make a stop at Gringotts to Harry's vault.  
"Um, Gin, if you remember, Harry, Ron and I broke into Gringotts. We crashed a dragon through the floor and then the roof. I'm not sure if I'm welcome there, let alone Harry. Has he talked to them?"  
"Oh. No, I don't think so. He hasn't actually went there. Whenever he buys anything he just charges it to his vault." "Maybe until he can go in and talk to them, we can just charge it to his vault so they don't try to send me to Azkaban for even standing next to the building, please? I'd really like to not go to prison."  
"Sure, Hermione, it kind of makes me feel richer to just say 'charge it to my vault' anyways." Ginny said laughing.  
Molly and Fleur had looked nervous through the whole Gringotts conversation. Molly still couldn't believe her child and two surrogates had broken into the wizarding bank, let alone a high security vault. They headed to the Alley towards the shops and started glancing in windows. Ginny went in shops as she saw things that caught her eye and bought things here and there. When they walked past Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, it was packed full. By the time evening was drawing near, Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, and Molly all had their hands full with shopping bags. They had accomplished a fair amount that day and Hermione's back felt it.

The four of them walked back to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes so they could make the boys help carry their purchases home. They walked through the door as the last of the customers were walking out. Fred and George look up from down the shelves and look surprised to see four members of their family waltz in. Harry out from behind the register and gives Ginny a kiss.  
"Am I broke yet?" he joked with her. "Aren't you just so funny? And no you aren't. We haven't even shopped for dresses. Or your robes. Just decorations and tablepieces and things like that. Luna can't dress shop for two weeks. Neville and Bill have confirmed for your groomsmen and we've sent a letter to the Ministry requesting an official to marry us."  
Harry leaned back, impressed. "You four have been busy."  
"Well of course. Hermione's super brain and organization are at work."  
Hermione dropped into the seat behind the counter. "I just want to sleep. Ginny wore me out. My back is definetly in need of a rest." Fleur nodded in agreement. "I am going to agree with that. I am going to borrow your fireplace and floo 'ome. Bill is probably wondering where I am. Will you boys 'elp with the bags if I leave them?"  
Fred walked up behind the register to give Hermione a kiss and start counting the money.  
"Oh course we will, Fleur. Go ahead and head home. We'll see you later."  
Harry looked and Hermione and smiled. "It's a good thing you're coming in tomorrow because Ron and I start auror training and it was a madhouse today. Plus I'm not near as good as you on the register. Fred and George were going spare trying to help me, stock the shelves, and help customers."  
Hermione looked at Fred. "Maybe you guys should think about hiring someone. I know that nobody could ever replace Verity but you can't always do it by yourselves. Plus, if you're going to be this busy, you're going to need help. What if it's just you two? You two say you have money, so put it to good use. What about Lee Jordan? You guys were good friends with him in school. Or Dean Thomas. Seamus? Somebody..." Fred looked down at Hermione sitting in the seat looking exhausted. "You know, Mia, that's a good idea. There's enough damn work for all three of them. The two of us really need to be working on product developement, not stocking shelves. I think I'll owl the three of them tonight and see if they want jobs. The register is yours whenever you want it though." He kissed her forehead and continued to count the money in the register.

George finished stocking the shelves while Harry swept up real quick. Fred tossed the extra money out of the register into the bag and whistled. "Damn, Georgie, we more than doubled profits from yesterday. At this rate, we're going to be out of product in a week. I really hope those three want jobs so we can get to cooking!" He shut the register with a bang. "My turn to take the money to Gringotts. Meet you guys at home." Harry gathered up Fleur's bags, Hermione stood up, Ginny drug herself out of extra chair, as did Molly, while George put up the protective enchantments. They all grasped hands and disapparated to the Burrow.

Arthur was already home and had started supper. A letter was waiting for Ginny on the table from the Ministry. They confirmed an official for the date of August 27, for her to send the time when she and Harry had made a more permanent decision. Molly promptly took over the cooking, with Hermione's help. The family ate in tired silence. George sent off the three owls to Dean, Seamus, and Lee asking them for help in the store. All three responded promptly saying they would love jobs in the store but couldn't start until the day after tomorrow.

Hermione and Fred headed to bed early that night since they were both tired and knew the next day would be just as long. She told Fred she was going to take a shower before she laid down to try to make her back feel better. Turning the water as hot as she could take it, she stook under the water with it raining on her shoulders and back for a good ten minutes. She almost could have fallen asleep in there if she hadn't been standing. Reluctantly, she got out, dried off, put on her tank and shorts, dried and straightened her hair. When she emerged, Fred was lying face up on the bed in just a pair of shorts with his eyes closed but she could tell he wasn't asleep. Hearing the door, he opened one eye.  
"What took you so long? I was beginning to think you fell in there again and knocked yourself out cold." he asked.  
"I was just standing under the hot water, letting it work on my lower back and shoulder. Ever since Bellatrix tortured me, it doesn't take much for my lower back to hurt. I asked Madam Pomfrey about it and she said that it can happen sometimes with dark magic, if the caster is powerful enough. It can linger and certain areas are more affected. It will fade eventually but it can take years since she was so powerful. All that walking with your mum, Ginny, and Fleur really did me in."

Fred sat up quickly. His hand went to her lower back and the other to her neck. "Did you tell them? Why didn't they let you stop and rest? It was Ginny, I know it was. All about her bloody wedding. I'm going to -..." she cut him off.  
"Freddie, stop. I didn't tell them. It wasn't a big deal. I'm fine, ok? Besides, nobody knows about Malfoy Manor, not even Ginny I think. Well, maybe Ginny, I don't know. It's not something I like to talk about, remember? Just forget about it. It's a sore back, no big deal. It'll be gone by tomorrow." She smiled at his overreaction. Fred looked at his fiance who had a heart of gold, who wouldn't even ask for a rest so his sister could have the wedding of her dreams.  
"Mia, it is a big deal. It's lingering dark magic. From Bellatrix LeStrange. Gods, I'm glad my mum killed that bitch. Why do your shoulders hurt if the magic is in your lower back?" he asked. Hermione looked uncomfortable. "I'm guessing from the walking, Fred." She could tell she didn't sound convincing. "Mia, you're lying. Please, don't ever lie to me." She sighed.  
"When I saved your life at Hogwarts, I was hit in the back of the shoulders with a huge boulder and it broke my spine and three ribs. When Madam Pomfrey healed me, I still had pain in my upper back and shoulders when I would move a certain way. I told Madam Pomfrey and she ran another diagnostic spell on me. A bone had healed wrong and was pressed on a nerve in my spinal column. She tried to heal it and suceeded in moving it some. Enough to get rid of the pain in my back but I still have pain in my shoulder here and there. She said she would have to rebreak my spine to fix it completely and I didn't want to go through that pain again. So I deal with the shoulder pain here and there. It isn't major so hot showers usually work. If they don't a small swig of pain potion usually does the trick."  
She chanced a look up at him. He looked angry. At her. She started to get up off the bed. He reached out and grabbed her wrist "I told you, Mia, I'm not my brother. Don't even think about leaving. Why in the bloody hell haven't you told me this before now? Do you know how fucking bad I feel right now?" Her eyes filled with tears. Why had she opened her mouth? She sat back down and forced the words out of her mouth.  
"That's exactly why I haven't told you. I didn't want you to feel guilty. I didn't save you for you to feel guilty or to owe me. I made a choice and did it of my own free will. So stop trying to make me feel guilty because I didn't let you try to pay me back. I make my own way in life and my own decisions. You might have been the one I saved, and the one I'm marrying, but that doesn't mean that you get to tell me when I can leave and when I have to tell you something. You don't own me. I barely knew you, Fred. So back off." Her voice had risen to a shout. She wrenched her wrist out his hand, stood up from the bed, and headed towards the door.

She flung it open and ran straight into George. It was like running into a wall, since she was trying to run out the door and he was quite a bit bigger than she was. The impact threw her back onto the ground and she tasted blood.  
"Shit, Hermione, are you ok? Bloody hell, you're bleeding everywhere." By the time he reached down to help her up, blood was dripping down her chest from her nose and Fred was at the door. "Bloody hell, George, you had to knock her down! She already hurts and now she's bleeding!" Hermione's eyes were flashing as her nose gushed blood down her chest, under her tank top. She grabbed her wand off the table and held it in front of her leveled at Fred's chest. Her hair swirled around her as if grabbed by a wind. "It wasn't his fault, it was mine. There you go assuming again. Don't speak another word to me, Frederick, or I swear I'll hex you. Now sod off." She turned and stalked off around George, not caring that her nose was still bleeding. She realized that she was in next to no clothing. She couldn't go downstairs. Ginny was upstairs. But so was Ron and she was half naked. She transfigured her clothes as she walked to longsleeves and pants and banged through the door to Ron's room. "Leave. Now." She said menacingly to Ron and then looking at Harry. Both scrambled out bed quickly and left the room. She let out a big breath and sat heavily on the bed next to Ginny. She sat up and reached over to take Hermione's hand.  
"Are you alright Hermione? You haven't threatened the two of them with a wand in a long time. Not that I didn't enjoy that just now." Ginny reached over with her wand and healed Hermione's bleeding nose.  
"I'm not, Ginny, I'm so mad I could spit fire right now. I pointed my wand at Fred's chest and told him if he said one more word to me I'd hex him."  
"Did he hit you? Is that why you're bleeding? I'll go hex him myself if he did."  
"No, no we were talking and I got up and he grabbed my wrist and told me not to even think about leaving because he didn't like what I said. Or what I hadn't said, actually. I snapped. I've went through so much, dealt with Ron being an arse, Harry being in trouble, being wanted because I'm muggleborn, being forced to marry someone who really doesn't love me, and now I'm being told what I have to say and when I can't leave. I lost it. I told him he didn't get to make my choices, essentially, yanked my arm back, ran out of the room half naked and ran straight into George, who didn't budge. Hence, the bloody nose. Then he came out and yelled at George so I grabbed my wand, threatened to hex him, and ran up here. I didn't want to face your parents." She started to cry. "What the hell am I doing?"  
"Hermione, it sounds like Fred is just being a normal boyfriend. They want to know everything. Harry does. They're nosy. He acted like he didn't give a damn this morning but when we came up here, he wanted to see everything and wanted details of everything we saw and decided. Besides, how do you know he never cared about you before now? Even if he did, he never could have said anything because of Ron. That git made it impossible for anybody else to make a move on you. Krum was the only one who ever stood a chance."  
"Gin, that's your wedding. And this was something personal but not very important. I just simply can't believe that he had feelings for me. They were completely different from me in school. They still are. He acts different since the battle towards me and I only think it's because I saved him. I just hate having that niggling feeling that he's with me not only because of the bond, but because he feels he owes me."  
Will you just trust me? I won't say that he's not with you because of the bond. But he's not with you because you saved his life. Please think more of him than that." Ginny gave her a stern look. Hermione looked up at her startled.  
"I think the world of him. He's treated me better than any man ever has. I was just trying to be honest." Ginny smiled at her. "Good. You'll be just fine with him, I know it. So quit -" A knock interrupted her sentence. Hermione remained silent. "Come in." Ginny called.

The door opened tentatively. Only Fred's head poked in. "Hermione? Will you come down to your room so I can talk to you please?" Hermione looked at him for a few moments before she replied. "Yes, I'll be there in a moment." He closed the door. Ginny laughed.  
"Hermione, you're training him well. Now go let him off the hook. Let my boyfriend come back in and I'll even come help you out at the shop tomorrow. Goodnight." As she walked out the door, Harry and Ron were asleep sitting up outside the door. She leaned over and shook Harry. "Harry, wake up. Ginny's waiting for you. Sorry to kick you out." He nodded and smacked Ron. They both stood up and went back in their room.

She strolled down the stairs, transfiguring her clothes back to her pyjamas, in a much calmer mood than when she had stormed up them half an hour before. If what Ginny said was true, Fred was acting like a normal boyfriend. To be honest, she had no experience in that area whereas Ginny did. She had to admit, that if she had to married to someone just for a bonds sake, she was glad that it was Fred. Even if he didn't love her. Her generation wasn't going to be lucky enough to have true love unless they were the few lucky ones like Harry and Ginny.

She pushed her door open and Fred was sitting on the edge of her bed, still in just a pair of shorts, with his head in his hands. He stood up when he heard her enter. Grabbing her hands softly in both of his, he spoke first.  
"Hermione, please let me talk first. Then you can do what you want. Leave, kick me out, hit me, hex me, whatever. I realize I had no right to grab you like that. Or order you to stay. I'm as bad as Ron and I don't expect you to ever trust me again. I mean that. I was just so upset that you were in pain because of me and you had never told me. It's no excuse, whatsoever, I know that. I just hate knowing that I'm the cause of your pain. You've been through so much. Can you ever forgive me? Please forgive me."  
Hermione looked up into his eyes, his beautiful crystal blue eyes. She didn't know why she thought she could ever stay mad at him. Letting go of his hands, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Pressing her cheek into his chest, she felt his arms go around her and his cheek drop onto her head.  
"Freddie, you're not like Ron. You didn't force yourself on me. You wanted me to stay and explain myself. You shouldn't have but you aren't like him. When I pulled away, you let me go. That's what I base you on. As for the pain, I should have told you sooner, I know. But I didn't want you to feel bad, like you owed me. I hate when I feel like people do things because they owe me, not because they really like me. Guess it comes from not having many friends. I like to know they're for real."  
"Mia, I wouldn't have felt like I owed you anything. You've been my friend for a long time. I've grown up with you. I could have tried to help your pain. I wouldn't have been your slave or anything like that, but I would have fetched the pain potion for you."  
She chuckled a little bit. "Ok, ok you win. I should have told you. I'm sorry. Now you know. I don't think I have anymore deep dark secrets for you to find out about." He let out a deep laugh, put her face in his hands and pulled her back from his chest.  
"If that's the worst secret you have to hide from me, we'll be just fine, Mia." He leaned forward and gave her a long kiss. He released her, went into the bathroom and returned with two bottles of potion.  
"Come on, love, off with the shirt. Face down on the bed and I'll take care of those sore spots. Trust me, I know my potions. I was a beater, remember, always had sore arms after a match. Try to fix you right up." Hermione pulled her shirt off. His eyes widen, spotting the bruise on her breast.  
"Bloody hell, Mia, did I do that to you? I have to admit, it's hot as hell but I hate to see bruises on your perfect skin." She had forgotten all about that. He grabbed his wand and healed it before she could even answer. She smiled at him softly. Laying down on her stomach put a great deal of pressure on her lower back, but when he moved her hair to the side and started rubbing the potion into her muscles it was exquisite. He kneaded the muscles gently at first but steadily applied more pressure. She moaned into the pillow. He worked his way slowly up her back, taking special care with her shoulder. By the time he had stopped, it was almost midnight. He sat her up, giving her a kiss. "Come on, Mia, let's take some pain potion. Then we'll go to sleep." He handed her a small dose and she sleepily handed the cup back. After delivering both potions back to the bathroom, she was almost asleep. He made her crawl under the blankets since she was shivering. Pulling her up against him, he wrapped his arm around her like always, buried his face in her neck and hair, and thanked the gods that she was able to go to sleep.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` I went ahead and left this as one long chapter...sorry. I just couldn't find a good spot to break it up without making one super short. Hope you guys don't mind! Please let me know what you think (: 


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- Keep letting me know what you think guys...thanks!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 11 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` July 15, 1998

Hermione knew that it would be a long day when she had went to bed the night before. Ginny had informed her and Molly that she wanted to travel muggle London to go dress shopping since Harry had owled Gringotts and cleared up the break in business, added her to his vault, and had Fleur draw out a large bag of money for her. Ginny had told Hermione she wanted her to wear her hair wavy like she had on reopening day of the shop, so her dress would look good with her hair. It only meant a few extra minutes of work for her.

Hermione applied the charm to her hair, her light makeup and perfume, and a summer dress. She had helped Molly pick out clothes the night before so she wouldn't look out of place in London. Charlie and Percy had already left for work when she got downstairs. Harry and Ron were scraping their plates and getting ready to leave. Ron stared openly as she walked in. She really wished he would quit that. They left after promising to be home for supper.

Fred and George were still eating their breakfast and both quit eating as she neared the table. She stopped in her tracks. "Why is everyone staring? Do I have something on my face? Do my flats not match?" She looked downwards while starting to scrub her face. Ginny laughed.  
"Hermione, don't be dense. Hell, they call you smart. It's because you look good. Enjoy it."  
"Oh, well...thank you. I didn't think that I looked that good. But that's nice of everyone." Completely embarrassed now, she sat down and began to eat a plate of eggs.  
"You can always trust in a man's first reaction, love." George teased her.

Lee, Dean, and Seamus were working out great at the shop. The twins didn't trust them to run the register when Hermione wasn't there, but that was only a day or two a week. Wedding planning was taking up quite a bit of time as Fleur had predicted.

The twins scraped off their plates, Fred went to Hermione and gave her a kiss, whispering in her ear he wanted to see her in her dress that night, and they apparated away with a faint pop. Ginny and Molly gossiped away about styles of dresses they wanted to look at while waiting for Fleur and Luna to get there. She had tuned out of the conversation thinking about the Weasley's reactions. Fred was supposed to react that way. Ron had reacted that way since he kissed her. But George? He was supposed to think Angelina was sexy. Was she really as good looking as Fred told her? This boggled her mind.

Fleur flooed in, excited and ready to shop. Luna followed right after. Molly served them all tea while they tried to decide where to start. As usual, they all turned to Hermione. She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know a place. Fleur, how did you get your wedding planned without me?" Hermione laughed. Ginny had already decided they would all wear ice blue, they would all look great in the color. She would be wearing white of, course. After clearing the tea cups, they apparated to a dress shop in London.

They browsed through the shop for two hours but Ginny found nothing that she liked. There was a dress shop four or five blocks away so they walked. Ginny searched through the wedding dresses and found a dress she liked. It was cap sleeves, no back, v-neck, pencil skirt to her knees then flared to her feet. She went to the dressing room and Hermione helped her try it on. With a few alterations with her wand, it was perfect. She was perfect. Stepping out into the viewing area, Molly gasped. "My baby girl looks so grown up!"  
"You look perfect, Ginny." Fleur complimented her. "What you think, Gin? Is this the one, or you want to try on more?" Hermione asked her.  
"This is it. It just feels right." They headed back into the dressing room to put the dress into it's plastic. Heading back into the shop, they browsed through bridsemaids dresses. Nobody saw any dresses they liked, so they apparated to a popular shop across town. Again, no luck. They walked down the street to the next shop, where they all got lucky at once. Hermione found a strapless dress made of satin that fit her form seamlessly and fell to floor. Ginny squealed in delight at the dress. Hermione cast a disillusionment charm over her mudblood scar. After Ginny paid for their purchases, they decided to head to Diagon Alley to look for Harry's, Neville's, and Bill's robes.

After browsing at Madam Malkin's, Ginny found robes she wanted for Harry and the groomsmen. She put her order in with Malkin, set a fitting date and paid her. Fleur needed to head home as did Luna, but Hermione wanted to go see Fred at the shop. They were supposed to be working on product development today. Ginny took her dress home for her and she strolled to the shop by herself.

She waved to George at the register as she walked in the shop. He waved back but watched longer than normal as she walked away. Heading towards the back room, she weaved around customers, empty boxes, and Seamus trying to stock the shelves. She smiled at him as he was trying to levitate Wonder Witch products onto the shelves and a five year old little boy ran into him, making him lose concentration.

The door to the product room was open so she was able to walk in quietly. Fred had just packaged a batch of what looked like puking pastilles but she wasn't sure. She made a snap decision and decided to prank him for once. Sneaking up behind him, she reached out to grab his back when he inhaled deeply and turned.  
"Mia, I thought you were here. Were you actually trying to scare me?" His took on an amused expression.  
She looked crestfallen. "How did you know I was here? Yes, I was. It sounded fun for a brief moment, until you said you knew I was here." She pouted. "George and I have been bad influences! I knew you were here because I could smell your hair, love. The peaches. And suck that lip back in, love, or I just might bite it off." he threatened her, grabbing her playfully. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him. Giggling, she told him, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Mr. Weasley." He grabbed her hips and lifted her up to where their faces were level.  
"Oh I intend to keep that promise, love." He leaned forward and nibbled on her lower lip. She wrapped her legs around his middle causing him to moan into her mouth. She pulled away and looked up him. Waving her wand, she slammed the door, locked it, warded it, and silenced it.  
"This sounds serious. Are we fighting again?" He looked at her questioningly. She looked up at him and laughed. He loved her laugh.  
"No, silly, what would we be fighting about? Is there something I don't know about?"  
"No, that just seemed...sudden." She smiled knowingly. "No worries, Freddie."  
Sliding her hand down his chest, she stopped at the top of his pants. Giving him a coy smile she began to unbutton them. He began to back up into the table, but she instead steered him toward the only chair in the room. As she unzipped his pants, he leaned over and caught her lips in a deep kiss. She pushed his pants down to his knees. He felt his cock rub on her pelvis and groaned into her mouth once again. She felt a sense of power rush through her.

Pushing him slightly, he fell into the chair behind him. She continued to kiss him, leaning over his body. Her hair fell forward, tickling the head of his cock. He was already about to explode. Pulling away from his mouth, she lowered herself to the ground. Looking up at him, she gave him a winning smile. Running her tongue first up one side, then down the other, she took him in her mouth. First a little. Then more. Then all of him. Gods that was the back of her throat? He pulled the hair out of her face and then put both his hands on side of her face. He threw back his head as she plunged his member into her throat one last time and he came into her mouth. She sucked a little as she pulled off, swallowing all of his cum. He couldn't even move, his muscles wouldn't function. She grabbed her wand, pointed it at her mouth and muttered a charm. He caught her hand in his, and sat her in his lap even though he hadn't pulled his pants up. "What the bloody hell do I owe the courtesy of that to? Not that I am complaining in the least, trust me. That was bloody fabulous, Mia. For someone who says she's never done anything, you are awfully accomplished." He wiggled his eyebrows to show he was joking.  
She shoved his chest. "Frederick, you know I haven't been with anyone else! And I don't know why. I was just thinking about how I felt pretty today after you guys stared this morning at breakfast. It kind of made me feel like I was a girl. I'm not sure how to explain it."  
He just shook his head. "Mia, I've told you before. You're beautiful. Why you haven't felt "like a girl" before, I don't know. Probably because you only hang out with Harry and Ron."  
She laughed. "That may have been my problem. They aren't the best on feelings, we all know that. Poor Ginny, stuck with Harry." She got off his lap so he could pull his pants up. After he was sorted out, she told him her back was hurting from the walking so she was going to go home and shower.  
"Go home and take a little potion, love, and a nap. I'll wake you when I get home. After dinner, I'll massage your back and you can show me your dress." She agreed to make him happy, kissed him goodbye, and left him with a smile in the work room to start a batch of nosebleed nougat. As she waltzed out, she smiled and waved at George, who gave her a knowing wink before he turned to help the next customer in line.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Hope you all liked that dirty little chapter...let me know, as always (:  



	12. Chapter 12

A/N- I really have nothing new to say. So I guess just review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 12 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` July 31, 1998

The sun dawned bright on Saturday morning. Hermione lay content in the warmth of Fred's arms not wanting to move, but knowing that she needed to get up and start preparation for Harry's party. Molly and Ginny had tried to keep it a secret from him, but they had been unsuccessful. When he had caught a glimpse of the invitations a week before, he had started to get angry. Ginny quickly put him in place and told him there would be a party whether he liked it or not. He had grinned back stupidly and complied.

Hermione rose quietly so she wouldn't wake Fred and threw some old clothes on. Heading downstairs, she met Ginny on the stairs.  
"Ready to start cooking, cleaning, and decorating?" she asked, yawning.  
"Oh, I was born ready." Hermione answered with a smile. They met Molly in the kitchen, who had already started the cleaning. They simply drank tea for breakfast since there would be a feast later. Hermione offered to finish up cleaning the house if Ginny wanted to help Molly start cooking up the dishes to be served that night.

After a solid hour, the Weasley men in the household started trickling down the stairs. Hermione smiled to herself when she heard Molly scold them.  
"Ronald, George, get out of that food! It's just tea and toast for breakfast. There will be plenty of food tonight and we don't have time to cook for you right now. All you boys grab your food and get out of our way. And don't bother Hermione either! Go amuse yourselves upstairs or outside!" She set the duster to dust the living room when she felt arms wrap around her.  
"Morning love. The bed got cold without you." Fred pressed a noisy kiss to the side of her head. Hermione laughed.  
"Sorry Freddie, I didn't want to wake you. I was just getting up to clean. Nothing very exciting. Besides, you work so hard and you deserved a lie in."  
"Well, Mia, you work hard too. Don't sell yourself short. Just coming to tell you George and I convinced the other four to go play some quidditch to stay out of Mum and Ginny's way. If you start to hurt, please sit down. and if you need me, send a patronus, alright?"  
She nodded at him, put a hand on his cheek, and gave him a long kiss. "Get Harry on your team. Good luck." He smiled and waved as he left.

She walked in the kitchen after finishing the cleaning to see an owl flying through the window. It landed on the table and had a Gringotts stamp on it. Hermione untied the letter and the owl flew off. "It's addressed to Harry. I guess he can read it when they get back from playing quidditch." she remarked. Ginny looked puzzled but said nothing. "Gin, if you want to start decorating, I'll take over cooking for a bit. He's your boyfriend, sorry fiance, after all." Ginny agreed to Hermione's delight, as she never felt she had much luck with decorating. Hermione did have to take two short breaks for her back, but made them unobvious to Ginny and Molly. She knew she needed to listen to Fred and do this more often, although she wished that the bloody curse would just fade.

After four hours of cooking, most of the foods were prepared. With warming and cooling charms cast on them, they were set for the party. The Weasleys trooped in from the orchard, sweaty and boisterous from their quidditch game. "Harry, you got a letter from Gringotts. We left it on the table for you." Ginny told him.  
Harry halted his bolt to the shower and picked up the letter, ripping it open. His eyes, scanned the paper.  
"It says they want to meet with me tomorrow, but doesn't say why. Gods, this can't be good."  
"Harry, I'm sure it's nothing. Quit worring." Ginny told him. "Now go take a shower."

Hermione announced she was going to go take a shower as she followed Harry up the stairs. Grabbing her shower things, she stripped her old clothes off and climbed in the warm water. It felt amazing on her back. She scrubbed her hair and body, while enjoying the cascade of hot water on her body. Figuring the twins would want a shower too, she got out, toweling off and dressing. She opened the door to her room, finding Fred waiting patiently. He walked into the bathroom with her.  
"Mia, you are one sexy woman when you have wet hair. It's even longer. It touches your bum."  
She giggled. "That tends to happen when your hair is wet and curly. Any special way you want my hair? I'll take a request today." She asked him.  
"Hmm...how about straight? You've worn it curly for the last three days."  
"Coming right up." She started to charm her hair dry, when she realized he was stripping off his clothes. He paid her no mind, climbed in the shower, and turned on the water. The familiar scent of pine filled the air. Smiling to herself, she began the charm to straighten it, then applied her usual makeup and perfume. By the time he emerged, she was in the bedroom again, applying the finishing touches to her outfit for the evening. She had to admit, she looked good. Her shirt showed a little more cleavage than usual and her jeans were a bit tighter (all thanks to Ginny), but she looked good. The outfit definetly accentuated her curves. Fred stopped in his tracks.  
"Bloody hell, Mia, if every man at that party doesn't explode in his pants when he sees you, he has got serious problems." He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. "Where'd you get those clothes, love?"  
She laughed low in her chest. "Your sister bought them for me. Insisted on it. Wanted me to 'look good'."  
"Love, you always look good. But that makes me think. My sister doesn't need to buy you clothes. Buy your own. I'm sending a letter to Gringotts as soon as I get downstairs and telling them to put your name on my vault. We're going to be married afterall."  
Hermione smiled at him. "Freddie, you don't have to do that. I don't -"  
"Mia, I'm doing it. No more discussion." She smiled at him. "Freddie, you're more than I deserve. How'd I get so lucky to get you?"  
He took her hand in his and kissed her palm again. "Love, I am the one who doesn't deserve you. Always remember that." Grinning, he swatted her lightly on the bum. "You better get down there and help Ginny or she's going to melt down. I'll be down as soon as I'm dressed."  
She trailed her hand along his cheek as she walked out.

Heading down the hall she passed Ron. He turned to grab for her wrist but she was quicker. Jerking it out of his reach, he spoke to her. "Hermione, I wasn't going to hurt you. I was just going to stop you to tell you how amazing you look." She looked at his face for a moment to judge his anger. Lingering just a moment, she simply replied, "Thanks Ronald."

When she made it downstairs, Andromeda and Teddy had arrived. Harry had already assumed responsibility over Teddy for the evening to give his grandmother a break. The rest of the guests weren't far behind. Hagrid, McGonagall, Slughorn, and Flitwick all came together. Kingsley showed up sometime after them. Dedalus, Hestia and Aberforth were the last to show. The food and dancing made the evening quite enjoyable.

Fred found her returning trays of food to the kitchen. He had been caught up discussing product ideas that Lee had with George. Not that she minded. He loved that Hermione fit in with his family and he didn't have to babysit her like a child. "Fancy a dance, love?" She looked reluctant. "I don't know, Fred, I can't dance all that well." Pulling her out on the floor, he didn't give her the chance the say no. Holding her close, he twirled her around the dance floor, realizing that there were a lot of eyes on them right now. With him leading her, they were flawless in their dance steps. When the dance ended, the crowd applauded them. Hermione turned a beautiful pink color. Fred bowed. "Take a walk with me?" He asked her. She nodded in response.  
They head towards the pond. Fred breaks the silence."I had a crush on you in school, did you know that? Just before the Yule Ball til we left school during seventh year. Knew you could never like a jokester like me though, so I let that go." He looked at her sheepishly and smiled. She looked surprised. "I liked you at the same time, Freddie! I secretly hoped you would ask me to the Yule Ball but then you asked Angelina. That same day I said yes to Viktor Krum. What makes you think I could never like you?" she asked.  
"I never knew that you liked me. And I always messed around in school, you were always so serious, smart and beautiful. I'm plain. Just lucky I'm a likable bloke." He smiled as he turned to give her a kiss. She pushed him back angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest. He frowned at her. "Don't ever talk like that about yourself. You are brilliant. I've always said that. You just never applied it to your studies. And I happen to think you're very handsome. I love your eyes. I hope our children look just like you, bright red hair and crystal blue eyes. So stop talking down on yourself." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Ok, ok, you win, Mia. Sometimes I just get a little overwhelmed and confused. I don't if what we feel for each other is real or if it's just the bond playing tricks on us. You know?" She laughed a little to try to break the tension. "No, no I understand completely. I feel the same way, I just tell myself how lucky I am I got you when it starts to roll around in my brain too much. I could have got some Slytherin just because he liked to study." Rolling his hand around in hers, she pressed herself up next to him. "I'm sorry, we'll probably never know if what we have is real. But we can count on it never going away. For what it's worth now, I love you Freddie." Fred crushed his mouth to hers, winding his hands into the hair at the nape of her neck.  
"Mia, I love you too. I think it's real, I do. But you're right, it isn't going away. We can always count on that." He released her gently and pulled something from his pocket. Her hands cup her mouth in surprise. A smile tugs at his lips knowing that she had no idea of his plans. He goes down to one knee opens the little box and recites the speech he had nervously recited to himself after she had went downstairs.  
"Mia, I promise to love you forever. I'll always take care of you, our children, and our home. I'll do everything in my power to make you happy. Will you make the happiest man in Britain and do me the honor of marrying me?" Tears sprang to her eyes and she nodded her assent. "Of course I will. I love you, Freddie." He stood up and kissed her deeply.

After breaking away, he took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. It was a little large so he took his wand and shrank it magically. She looked at the colored stones and fingered them with love in her eyes.  
"Want me to tell you what they mean? In the wizarding world, stones mean something." She looked up into his eyes questioningly and nodded.  
"Ok, right to left then. The pale green peridot will strengthen your life, increase openness, and alleviate depression, fear, and anxiety. The rose quartz will help heal emotional wounds, the ruby will, of course, promote my love for you. The yellow topaz will increase your confidence and lessen your fears and chances of depression and last, but not least, the bright pink tourmaline is a stress alleviator and helps balance and cleanse your emotions." "Freddie, you put so much thought into this. It's beautiful and I love it. I'll cherish it always. Thank you so much." She have him another deep kiss, pressing herself against him once again.  
"We should tell the family we set a date, because they're going to see that ring, love. Any time you want specifically?"  
"Yes. I already have a day. As soon as you asked, I chose. Don't ask me how my brain works. January 13th. That will give us time to plan a decent wedding but won't put it too ridiculously close to any of your brothers."  
"Perfect, love, whatever you want. How about that walk now?" He asked, grabbing her hand, pulling her down the path further towards the pond.

After walking around the pond to the back side, she pulled him down on the ground to rest. He conjured a blanket to sit on so they wouldn't have to sit on the dewy grass. The sounds of the party were still going strong in the distance. He threw his arm around her to protect her bare arms from the chill that was setting in around the water. Looking up at him, the moonlight hit her face just right and sent a shiver up his spine. He put fingers under her chin and leaned down to kiss her. Leaning into his kiss, she pressed her hand onto his chest. He reached over and lifted her onto his lap. By now, she didn't waste any time. She pulled at the hem of his shirt and began to pull it over his head. He complied but reached for his wand. He began waving his wand, doing nonverbal spells, casting wards so they wouldn't be seen or heard.

Once his wand was on the ground once again, he pulled her shirt off as well as her bra. His hands, no longer hesitant to give her the pleasure she craved, went from her jaw to her breasts. She nibbled at his lower lip and he pulled at her nipples. When he lowered her to the blanket and began to suck on one nipple, then the other, her back arched. Eyes closed, she pulled at his hair. Planting kisses down her belly to the top of her jeans, she moaned, her back still arched. He drug his tongue back up to her collarbone, making her sound more desperate. He moved back up to kiss her and she traced the muscles of his chest and arms.  
"Freddie, I want you in me. Please make love to me." He looked down at her.  
"Mia, love, are you sure? You said you wanted to wait til we were married." "I'm one hundred percent sure. You said you love me. That's what I was waiting for. Please, Freddie, I want you so bad."

He moved to undo her pants but she beat him to it. She whipped them off without hesitation. Capturing his mouth, she kissed him fervently. His hands roamed over her bare hips. He loved how small she felt in his arms. she began pushing his pants down his hips and he didn't fight her. Stopping to assist her, he grabbed his wand once again and muttered a contraception spell under his breath. Lowering his mouth to her breasts once again, she moaned. She reached down and grabbed his hard member, stroking it. It was his turn to groan. After a few moments of this, he pulled away and moved lower. He reached out and touched her soft folds. She drew in a sharp breath, but opened her legs invitingly. He bent down and began to lightly lick her with his tongue. When he probed deeper and touched the sensitive nub, she grabbed his hair and moaned his name. Flicking his tongue back and forth, he gently worked a finger inside her. My gods it was tight. Rolling his finger around inside her, then working it in and out, she started to buck her hips.  
"Now, Freddie, please I need you." she begged.

He crawled on top of her, brushing her hair out of her face. "Love, it's going to hurt for just a moment or two. I have to do it. I'll stop after and just tell me when you're alright." She nodded, a wild need still evident in her eyes. He put just a scant inch in and about came. Gods she felt so good. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. Peaches overwhelmed him. He went in further until he met a barrier. Pushing through, she cried out, gripping his shoulder. He went completely still.  
"Mia, I'm so sorry, but I had to. That's the only time it will hurt, I promise. Take as long as you need." She nodded into his shoulder and he stroked her hair. After a few minutes she spoke. "I'm ok, Fred. Just needed a minute. I really want to continue." She smiled up at him.

He pushed forward and she gasped as they were finally joined as one. Going slowly at first, Fred could tell she was getting used to the feeling. Clearly enjoying it, she started moving in rhythm with him. He started to move faster and she began to pant. Her hands were roaming all over his back. Realizing that she had just wrapped her legs around his hips, he started to pump into her with wild abandon. She was moaning now. Her nails dug into his back.  
"Oh my gods, Freddie, don't stop, gods don't -" she cried out. Her wetness tightened around him and then convulsed. She shuddered. Her orgasm made him explode inside her. He was careful not to drop his weight onto her. Carefully pulling out of her, he sat up. He picked up his wand and cast cleaning charms on them both. Laying down next to her, he gathered her in his arms.  
"Are you ok, Mia? Was I too rough?" She tinkled a laugh.  
"Gods, no Freddie. You were wonderful. I'll definetly want to do that again. Maybe not tonight, but definetly again." He grinned stupidly at her but gave her a kiss.  
"Come on, Mia, lets go to the house and go to bed. If you sleep out here, you won't be able to move in the morning. Your shoulder will be killing you."  
She pouted a little but sat up and began to put her clothes back on. After standing up, he banished the blanket, grabbed her hand and began to pull her up back up the path. She stumbled a bit due to the soreness between her legs.  
"You ok, love?"  
"I'm fine, just go slow. Just a touch sore."  
He picked her up like she was nothing, bridal style.  
"I'll carry you into the house. We'll tell everyone you tripped. After your dance performance, they'll believe it."  
She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him another kiss.  
"You are the most overprotective fool, you know that? It's a good thing you're handsome."  
"Get used to it, Mia. It's time someone took care of you instead of the other way around."  
She simply laughed her lilting laugh as he carried her up the path back up towards the party.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought (: 


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Hope you all are enjoying the story! Big step in last chapter (: Please read and review! Sorry for such a short chapter this time but sometimes it happens... Thanks y'all!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 13 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 1, 1998

Hermione woke up with a smile on her face. She replayed the night before in her mind. The crowning moment was that Fred had said that he loved her. Admiring the ring on her hand, she was still amazed he had put so much thought into it. Maybe the love was real afterall. Fred stirred beside her and wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. "Morning love." He kissed the back of her neck. She stroked the arm around her.  
"Morning. Sleep well?" she asked him.  
"I doubt that I've ever slept better. Your charms had a way of wearing me out last night."  
She laughed at his terrible pun. "Well we might have to do that more often then, make sure you sleep well, Mr. Weasley."

She sat up in the bed, wincing inwardly at the mess of tangles on top of her head. After trying to run her fingers through it without success, she decided to just take a shower. She stood in the hot water, letting it work its magic on her soreness. Once out of the shower, she charmed her hair dry and then wavy, applied her usual makeup and got dressed in the same summer dress she had worn wedding dress shopping with Ginny a couple weeks before.

Heading down the stairs, she met Ginny. "Oh, there you are. Fred was just asking after you. I said I'd check on you since I had to come up and get my purse anyways."  
"Oh, I'm coming down now. Just getting ready."

She reached the table and sat down, finding everyone in great moods. Even Ron. Arthur, Percy, and Charlie were talking about people at the Ministry, Molly was bustling around the kitchen, and the twins were discussing their plans for that morning. "Mia, you fancy going to the shop with Georgie and I? Product development and such?" Hermione thought for a second.  
"How about I meet you this afternoon? I wanted to go to Flourish and Blotts and get a couple books." Fred nodded. "Smashing." Ginny came back in and sat down next to Harry. She looked over at Hermione and instantly zeroed in on the ring on her finger. Hermione smiled, took Fred's hand under the table, and nudged him, pointing at the ring. Taking a hint, he cleared his throat and stood.

"Parents, brothers, sister of mine. I just wanted to let you all know that my beautiful fiance and I have finally decided on a date for our wedding to take place, January 13th. We would, of course, like you all to attend. Thank you." He bowed and took a seat. Hermione smiled behind her hand at his theatrics as Molly exclaimed over having five weddings taking place. Molly and Ginny snatched her hand to examine her ring, both going on about how much they loved it. While they held her hand hostage, she chanced a glance at Ron to see how he was taking it. Rage was fleeting through his eyes. The hand he held on the table clenched. Harry laid a hand on his shoulder as if to hold him back. The words poured out anyways.  
"Well Hermione, looks like you'll be shagging a Weasley by January, regardless which one it is." Venom dripped from his words. Once again, she snapped.

She stood up so fast, the chair behind her went flying backwards. Her wand was out and pointed at Ron's face before he could even clear his out of his pants. "One more word, Ronald Weasley, one more word, and I swear to the gods you will regret it. I will hex you until you don't know your arse from a hole in the ground." She stood there silent for a few moments, her wand still to make her point. The whole table was silent. Fred stood up, the only one who seemed to have the bravery to make a move in light of her anger.  
"Ron, can I talk to you outside?" Ron, keeping his eyes on Hermione's wand, pushed away from the table and followed Fred out the door. Hermione sank back into her chair, not saying a word.

Outside, Fred cornered Ron by the shed. "Look, Ron, I know you think you love Hermione but what you did to her isn't love. I'm more than willing to overlook what you have done to her, as is she, but if you continue to abuse her, if she doesn't get ahold of you, I will. That's a promise. If you try to hurt her again, I will kill you."  
"Don't love her. Right. I'm sure you do...she must be a damn good shag, Fred, for you to turn on your own brother. I'm assuming you've been getting your leg over."  
"What I do with Hermione is none of your business Ron. Just remember what I said. She'll be my wife and the future mother of my children. You need to get used to that. It's harsh but true. Hurt her again and even Harry won't save you." Fred stalked away, shaking with rage.

He reentered the house to conversation of Harry, Ginny and Harry making plans to go to Diagon Alley together. He had forgotten that Harry needed to go to Gringotts for his summon. Ron sheepishly walks thorugh the back door and sits back down at the table and starts finishing his food. After listening for a few minutes, he chimes into the conversation.  
"Well, do you guys mind if I come along? I apparently need to start looking for rings for Lavender." Harry and Ginny both looked at Hermione. She hesitated a moment, then answered. "No, Ron, I don't mind. I think we'll all be going our seperate ways anyways so I think we'll just be apparating together." Ron nodded his assent and finished his breakfast. After kissing Fred goodbye, she, Harry, Ginny and Ron walked to the apparition point and apparated to Diagon Alley with a pop.

She told the three of them that she was meeting the twins that afternoon so they didn't need to meet her anywhere. Heading off in their seperate directions, she began walking at a leisurly pace towards Flourish and Blotts, windowshopping along the way. Almost to her destination, she felt a firm hand grasp her forearm from behind. She spun around to see who it was but before she could, they were apparating. Before they were completely disapparated, she could feel him grasping her other arm from behind. Whoever it was drug her to a chair placed in the middle of a dark basement lit up by a single electric bulb. Ron was already there, bound to the chair and gagged. He was struggling with all his might to free himself. He began yelling into the gag when he saw Hermione.

She could feel herself being tied to the chair and having a gag tied around her head. Fear spiked through her body. The fear in Ron's eyes was frightening her. As the figure finished with her gag, he started to come into her line of sight. She gasped into her gag. His words cut into her heart.  
"I'll be back in just a bit with your other little friends, don't worry."

It was Rodolphus LeStrange.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Cliffhanger! Hope you all enjoyed (: Read and review please! Til next time... 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Sorry to leave the last chapter as a cliffhanger, but it would have been ridiculousssssly long if I hadn't. Hope y'all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 14 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 1, 1998

Terror raced through Hermione's veins when she recognized Rodolphus Lestrange. Bellatrix's husband. Her torturer. He had she and Ron and had promised to get Harry and Ginny. It was Malfoy Manor all over again, but she wouldn't be the only one at the end of the knife. She felt Rodolphus run a finger down her cheek and his hot breath in her face.  
"I have something extra special planned for you, Mudblood. But first, I have to go get your friends. I'll be back soon." With a pop, he was gone.

Forcing herself to take deep breaths to calm herself, Hermione set her mind to thoughts of ways out. She took in every detail of her surroundings. The room was dingy and grey, and appeared to be a basement. There was moisture on the floor in the corner that seemed to be seeping through the walls. She started to focus all her concentration on wandless magic, which she had never done before. Her hands remained bound. Squeezing her eyes shut in frustration, she tried again. And again. And again. Finally giving up, she began to struggle against her bindings. It was her only hope. She had tiny hands and she was willing to peel her skin off to free them.

She had no idea how long she worked on the bindings. Held by magic, they didn't seem to loosen but it didn't stop her from trying. Her wrists had started dripping blood a long time ago, but she didn't pay any attention to that. Ron watched her in silence. She noticed that his wrists were also raw, but he had given up trying to free himself. Hermione refused to give up. If there was a chance to make it back to Fred, she was taking it, no matter how painful it was, or how much it cost her.

A faint pop alerted her that Rodolphus had returned. He held Ginny by her long red hair and had somehow already managed to bind Harry. Throwing her into the chair next to Hermione, he bound and gagged Ginny in much the same manner as he had her. Rodolphus set a chair in front of Ron, Hermione, and Ginny and sat Harry in that, binding and gagging him to that. Hermione had a bad feeling about having Harry singled out like he was.  
"Well now, this is exciting. Aren't you all excited? I'm almost ready to begin." Rodolphus began pleasantly. "Let me explain why we're here today. Potter, you killed the Dark Lord. That must be punished and to the highest degree. Your little girlfriend is a means to an end. The more I hurt her, the more it hurts you. Just as the Dark Lord always said, you're predictable. Always wanting to save people. Well, you won't be able to save her today. The blood traitor and mudblood are here because they helped bring down the Dark Lord as well. They're going to pay for that. The mudblood, especially." He began circling around the four friends, trying to decide where to begin.

Rodolphus stopped in front of Ron, pointing his wand at his chest. Hermione could see the fear in his eyes, but Ron said nothing.  
"Crucio!" Ron threw his head back, screaming in torment. Hermione couldn't make herself blink even though she was horrified at the sight of Ron in pain. Rodolphus continued the curse for minutes, making Ron's voice go hoarse. When he lowered his wand, Ron's body sagged in the chair. Harry was screaming at him. "You pussy bastard, I'm the one who killed him. Hurt me, kill me!" Rodolphus simply wiggled his finger at him and made a clucking noise at him, moving down the line towards Ginny. He raised his wand towards her chest. The fear flashed in her eyes but the fury was more prominent.  
"Crucio!" Strands on her red hair were stuck across her face as it was stuck in a permanent grimace. It was obvious she was trying not to scream. She didn't want to torment Harry. Her hands were clenched into fists. The longer that she refused to scream, the longer he held the curse. Finally, she couldn't resist. The screams escaped her body. Rodolphus was laughing at the tears Harry was shedding, watching her thrash in her chair. After long minutes of screaming he released her of the curse and she also sagged in her chair, hitching in deep breaths. Harry couldn't stop the tears coursing down his face. He could barely catch his breath.  
"Alright, Potter, your mudblood friend is next." Rodolphus smiled down at his as he walked over in front of Hermione. Fear once again shot through her body but she pushed it down, telling herself she could do this. He raised his wand at her chest.  
"Crucio!" The pain shot through her body like white hot branding iron. She refused to scream. It went on forever. She heard Ron and Harry screaming for him to stop, then sobbing, but was strangly unaware at the same time. All the seemed real was the spiking pain. Her hands were slick with blood where she had been straining against her bindings. The saltiness of blood was in her mouth. She never uttered a sound. After an eternity of pain, he released the curse and the pressure in her bad shoulder released.  
"Well, well, Potter, we have a strong one here. Looks like she can take more than the average blood traitor can. Guess that means I get to have more fun with her, don't I?" he taunted Harry. Hermione fought to control her breathing.

Rodolphus took turns on each of them, Ron, Ginny, Hermione. Crucio, over and over again. Hermione wasn't sure how much longer they could stand. Ginny seemed on the verge of consciousness. It was taking her longer and longer to recover. Maybe once she passed out, Rodolphus would leave her alone. Hermione could only hope. Harry had yet to be tortured, but Hermione had a feeling that he would willingly trade places with them. His face was swollen from crying and his voice was hoarse from screaming.

Rodolphus was in front of her again. It was her turn again. Dear gods help her hold her tongue. It was getting harder and harder to not scream. Her shoulder felt like splintered bone and her lower back felt like it was shattered. She braced herself when Rodolphus spoke.  
"You're proving to be no fun, Mudblood. I think we need to change it up a bit. I think I'll take a page from my wife's book, but step it up a notch." Hermione instantly knew what that meant. She tensed.

Rodolphus drew his knife and stepped up in between her legs. He grabbed her arm that already had the healed scar on it. He began to slice the scars open again. Blood began pooling under the chair. Hermione couldn't herself. She started screaming. Rodolphus looked gleeful. After she had 'mudblood' cut into her forearm once again, he turned to her other arm.  
"Lets see...what should we put on this side? Any ideas? How about...wizard scum!"  
He bent to his task, carving out the letters in her soft, pale skin. She accomodated him with screams that reverberated through the room. Harry looked like he wanted to curl up in a ball and die. Ron and Ginny watched in horror. There was now a matching pool of blood on the floor under her other arm.

Rodolphus stepped back and laughed at the tears he saw tracking down her face. She could tell he wasn't done with her. "I have one more idea! You're paired with a Weasley, aren't you? How about this one!"  
He pulled her dress open, exposing her chest and bra. Starting just above her breasts he began to carve out the words he wanted. Once again, her screams rang out. By the time he was finished, her whole front was covered in blood and 'Blood Traitors Whore' was cut into her chest. She looked down in horror. All of a sudden she heard Rodolphus cry, "Crucio!" and the pain exploded through her once again. She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. Blood was gushing from the wounds he had cut into her body. The pain didn't seem to go on for as long as usual, thank the gods. When he released the spell, she drew in a sweet breath, realized dimly that blood was pooling between her legs from her chest wounds.

When he moved to Ron, he went unconscious after a few minutes of being under the spell. Thank the gods. Rodolphus made no move the ennervate him. Harry was going spare, realizing that we were nearing the end of Rodolphus' plan. Moving onto Ginny, she lasted a bit longer under the harsh spell, but eventually fell unconscious as well. Rodolphus moved in front of Hermione once again. She braced herself.  
"Once more, Mudblood, then Potter here will give you the sweet release you're hoping for. Crucio!" She didn't get a chance to assess what he said before the whote hot pain rolled through her body once more. This time it lasted the longest. She remained strong and clenched her teeth shut, not uttering a sound. After the pain subsided and she regained her breath, she realized that Rodolphus had ennervated Ginny and Ron. Harry's head hung. When her eyes focused, she saw him grab Harry by the hair and lift his head. His eyes looked dead.  
"Now, Potter, I'm going to tell you the next step. I'm going to untie you and hand you your wand. You will point it at one of your friends at a time, in an order of your choosing, and you will kill them. Don't get any ideas, I'll have my wand on you the whole time. After that's done, we'll discuss the next step." A spark seemed to light in Harry's eyes. Rodolphus released his binding and shoved Harry out of his chair. Harry fell to his knees. Rodolphus wrenched him to his feet by him hair and jammed his wand into hand.  
Hermione spoke. "Harry, kill me. It's ok. I know you have to." She looked into his eyes and they seemed to have a conversation in five seconds before he raised his wand shakily at her. He waited until Rodolphus moved just to the side of him. In a flurry of movement, he threw himself to the ground. Pointing his wand at Rodolphus, he non-verbally shot off a green jet of light. It struck him in the chest, bowling him over backwards. He lay on the ground, dead.

Harry hurried to Ron, untying him. Harry went to Ginny next, Ron to Hermione. Hermione began to sob. Ginny grabbed ahold of Hermione, trying to soothe her.  
"Hermione, come on, please stop. We're free, come on. Stop crying. Let's just go."  
Harry stood up from the hug he had enveloped Ginny in. "We need to get to St. Mungos. Hermione needs a healer for sure. We'll go to Fred and George. They'll be able to help." Hermione could feel hysteria beginning to take over, like she did at Malfoy Manor. She was was trying to hold it together, trying to hold in the sobs. Her wounds were still oozing blood all over, a constant reminder though. Harry reached down and grabbed the ankle of Rodolphus LeStrange, holding out his other hand to Ginny. She linked hands, holding out her hand to Hermione. Hermione grasped hands with Ginny and Ron. Harry took control, all of them spinning on the spot, landing in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Hermione's legs gave out as soon as she landed in the familiar shop. Ron sank to the floor and tried to help her up but she shook her head. She didn't want to move. Her dress was still ripped open but she didn't care. A blood pool was already forming underneath her. She felt faint, knowing it was from blood loss. Fred and George rounded the corner, coming from the back room, laughing at some joke they had surely shared before coming out.

Seeing the scene before them, expressions of horror crossed their faces, the joke long forgotten. At the sight of Fred, Hermione couldn't hold her sobs in any longer. Her whole body was wracked with sobs she couldn't seem to stop. Her foot was resting on Rodolphus' arm and she hadn't realized it. She jerked it back, causing herself to slide in her own blood. The twins rushed to them, George to Ginny and Harry, Fred to Ron and Hermione.  
George asked, "Harry, what the fuck happened?"  
"Its a long story, we'll explain as best we can, I promise, but right now we need to get to St. Mungos. They've all been tortured, a lot, especially Hermione. It was Rodolphus LeStrange. I killed him. Please, can we go now?"  
Fred's head snapped up from Hermione's injuries. "What are we waiting for? Let's get the fuck out of here."  
Fred grabbed Hermione's hand, and Ron her other. George, Harry, and Ginny linked hands. George and Fred linked hands. George and Fred took the lead and pulled them into the familiar darkness of apparition. They landed with a pop in St. Mungo's.

Hermione could feel blood running down her chest and arms. Then as Fred wrapped his arms around her and pick her up bridal style, she felt herself sink into darkness.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` They escaped! Yay (: Let me know what you guys think...please read and review! Thank y'all! 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N- Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter...please leave reviews (: anyways, hope you enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 15 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 3, 1998

Hermione thought she heard hissing. Maybe it was a dream. As she became more aware, she realized that it was Fred whispering angrily through his teeth. She realized he had a soft grip on her hand, rubbing circles on the top of her fingers with his thumb. After thinking she was going to die, it was the most amazing feeling in the world. The words became more clear.  
"Ron, I don't know what your problem is with me helping her. She's my fiance. So back off." Fred snapped at him. Ron snapped right back. "My problem, Fred, is that it's you. The infamous ladies man. We all heard stories about you in school, about getting your leg up with all those girls. Now you're with Hermione. She's been marked now, by you, as a conquest. A blood traitors whore. Did you see that cut into her tits like she was branded your piece of ass? Make you feel good? I made a mistake but at least I never marked her like you did. Those cuts that bastard carved in her chest are your fault!"

Hermione felt Fred stand abruptly, and she imagined draw his wand. Molly spoke up.  
"Ronald, you will NOT speak to your brother like that. This is in no way his fault. You need to realize that now. His past means nothing now. He is with Hermione and he loves her. If you can't hold your tongue, then leave." Ron looked at his mother, appalled, and stalked out of the room.

After a few minutes of silence and Fred stroking her hand, Hermione's eyes flutter open. Fred has his head buried in his free hand. Molly notices her eyes open. "Hermione, dear, you're awake! I'll go find a healer!" Fred's head snapped up and saw her eyes open as Molly stood to leave.  
"Mia, oh my gods, you're awake! I was so worried about you! Gods, you've been asleep for two days, I was scared you wouldn't wake." He stood up to give her a kiss. She lifted her hand to touch his face. Pressing a kiss into her palm, he smoothed the hair at the side of her face. She realized that she didn't have any bandages on her arms where she had been cut.

Molly reentered with a healer. "Miss Granger, I'm Healer Gallen. I have to admit that I am happy to see you awake. It's been a long two days. I did give you a sleeping draught but they never last this long." Hermione nodded slightly. "I suppose I was extremely low on strength and needed the rest." Healer Gallen laughed.  
"You have that exactly right, Miss Granger. From the brief synopsis Mr. Potter gave me, you had the cruciatus curse performed on you seven to ten times for three to five minutes at a time. Coupled with extreme blood loss, rest was the best thing for you." George, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Percy walked in. Fred squeezed her hand. Healer Gallen continued. "As for the scars, the one across your chest and new one on your arm have vanished. You received potion soon enough that they did not scar. However, the scar you already had cannot be helped. It will remain. You must stay overnight for further rest and you may return home in the morning. Is this satisfactory, Miss Granger?"  
Hermione smiles at him. "Yes, yes, of course. Thank you so much for caring for me, and getting rid of the scars you could. I've already learned to live with the one I have." She realizes that most of her new family is in the room and has no idea what she is talking about.  
"I'll leave you to spend time with your family. If you need anything, let me know." Healer Gallen leaves the room.

Molly comes to the opposite side of her bed and sits beside her. Taking her hand, she brings Hermione up to date. "Well, dear, Ron is fine. He was in a bit before you woke up. He wouldn't say much about what happened. Didn't want to talk about it. He has to stay overnight as well. He went back to his room. Ginny is still asleep as well. Harry won't leave her side. He gave the healer a brief overview of what happened, and he just said that you all were tortured by Rodolphus LeStrange. The healer said she'll be fine, she's just weak. Do you feel up to telling us what happened? If not, we can wait. We know you just woke up."  
Hermione looked at Fred, who wrapped both his hands around her one hand. "Mia, if you don't want to, you don't have to. But we all love you. If you get to a point where you want to stop, you can." She nodded, agreeing, knowing she'd have to relive it eventually.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well I was headed toward Flourish and Blotts. Someone grabbed my arm from behind and apparated me into this basement and tied me to a chair, gagging me. Ron was already there, tied and gagged. I had my wrists bleeding onto the floor trying to get free. He told us he'd be back with Ginny and Harry and I was trying to get Ron and I away so we could get help. He returned before I could get loose. Rodolphus tied Harry up facing the three of us so he could watch. He started with Ron, then Ginny, then I. He took turns on us, leaving the cruciatus curse on us for I don't even know how long. Harry would go crazy, screaming at him, crying to do it to him and not us. He never once did it Harry. Ginny tried not to scream, to make it easier on Harry. I managed not to, but that made Rodolphus more angry. He got tired of no screams, so he took his knife to me. He cut 'mudblood' into my arm again, 'wizard scum' into my arm, tore my dress open and cut 'blood traitors whore' into my chest. I could't help it. I screamed when he did that." Hermione blushed and took another deep breath. Continuing, "He performed the cruciatus curse on each us eight to ten times. Finally, Ron and Ginny passed out. Rodolphus woke them back up and told Harry he was going to have to take his wand and kill all of us himself. He cut him free, told him to choose who was first. I told him to kill me first. He must have saw the meaning in my eyes. He let Rodolphus move forward, threw himself to the ground, and shot a non-verbal killing spell straight at his chest. Harry freed Ron, Ginny, and I and then he apparated the three of us and Rodolphus to Fred and George."

Molly looked mortified. She had her hand over her mouth. Arthur put his arm around her shoulders. Charlie and Percy sat down heavily, blowing air out of their mouths. George simply wiped a hand down his face, being the first to speak. "Good gods Hermione, does the Golden Trio ever get a break?" Hermione actually cracked a smile. "I guess not, George." Fred had buried his face in their joined hands about halfway through her story. Bill looked thoughtful, then asked the question she had been dreading. "Hermione, Healer Gallen said 'The scar you already had will remain...' what exactly does that mean?" Fred lifted his head and looked her in the eyes, conveying a silent message. Hermione sighed. "When we were on the run, Ron, Harry and I were caught by Greyback and some snatchers. They delivered us to Malfoy Manor. After discovering Gryffindor's Sword in my bag, Bellatrix LeStrange threw Ron and Harry in the basement but kept me upstairs. She tortured me with the cruciatus curse, trying to get me to say how we had gotten into her vault. I lied and told her we had found it and that it was fake. She took her knife to me. She cut mudblood into my arm. Bill, that's when Dobby rescued us, but died as we ended up on the beach at Shell Cottage. Rodolphus reopened the mudblood scar." She held her arm up for the rest of the family to see the ugly red letters that marred her ivory skin.  
Molly's eyes watered. Arthur, Percy, Charlie, and Bill all shook their head sadly. George looked angry. "Why in the bloody hell haven't you told us this before, Hermione? It's not like we care that you have a scar or that you're muggleborn."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. Then anger started to seep in. Who said she wasn't allowed a little privacy? She didn't have to tell everyone everything. Hermione snapped. "You know what, George, I don't have to tell anyone anything. I'm allowed a little privacy in my life. Fred knew and that was what important. He knows about the torture, the scars, the back pain, everything." She flung Fred's hand aside and rose out of bed, starting to walk toward George. Fred was hovering by closely to make sure she didn't fall. "You want to know everything else, nosy George? I have horrible back pain from the torture that bitch gave me. I'll have it for years according to Madam Pomfrey thanks to residing dark magic left in my body. Let's see, what else can I tell you about...how my flow is? Everything is your business." By this time, she was in front of George and was shoving him backwards with every sentence that came out of her mouth. Fury was flashing in her eyes. He was lucky she didn't have her wand. George was furiously shaking his head no. She continued. "If you don't want to hear every bloody detail of my life, I suggest you let me decide what to share. Until I share it with you, how you fuck off?" With a final shove, he ended up against the wall.

She turned around and walked back towards the bed, climbing under the warmth of the blankets. The rest of the Weasley family remained silent. Fred grabbed her hand again, kissing it tenderly as she rolled to her side to face him. The healer interrupted after a few short minutes to let them know that Ginny had woken up. Everyone but Fred stood to go visit Ginny and Harry.

Hermione yawns as soon as eveyone is gone. All the talking wore her out. Fred crawls into bed with her, drawing her into his arms. His body is shaking slightly but he smiles down at her and presses a kiss onto her lips. Pulling her tight against him, he whispers into her ear, "Go back to sleep, Mia. I'll keep you safe. You'll get to go home tomorrow and I"ll take care of you. Don't think about anything but my arms being around you." Hermione snuggled into his chest, closed her eyes, and focused on his arms around her, drifting off to sleep.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Hope you enjoyed. Please review guys (: Thanks! 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 16 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 4, 1998

Rodolphus was standing between her legs, ripping her dress open. He was leaned over, cutting her chest open and the blood was pouring down her breasts and pooling in her lap. His laugh echoed in her ear. The white hot pain shot through her body like a streak.

Hermione woke up screaming, clutching inside her nightgown where the words had been cut into her chest. Fred shot up in the bed, wand in his hand. Breathing hard, Hermione is trying hard not to sob. Dropping his wand on the bed, Fred rolled her towards him and pulled her onto his shoulder. She couldn't hold her tears back even though she felt better after his strong arms were wrapped around her. She felt him drop his cheek on top of her head and squeeze her tighter when her body began to shudder with sobs.  
"Just let it out, Mia. I've got you and I'm not going anywhere. Nothing is going to happen to you." Hermione couldn't hold it in if she wanted. She sobbed into his shoulder for a long time. She was dimly aware of him stroking her hair as she cried.

When she had cried herself out, they sat in silence for awhile, Fred still stroking her hair. She was still clutched onto his shirt. After sniffling a bit, she started to apologize. "Freddie, I'm so so-" he cut her off.  
"Mia, don't you dare apologize. None of this is your fault. You were going to the book store, not to get tortured. You didn't ask for this." A guilty look flitted across his face. "Love, I'm just sorry for my fault in this. I never meant to make anything worse on you." Hermione sat up and looked at him. "How in the bloody hell do you figure that any of this is your fault?" He laughed at her swearing but then turned serious. "Ron pointed out that I was a 'ladies man' in school and now you're just on the list of my conquests. The whole world thinks of you as a blood traitor whore because of me."

Tears pricked her eyes. She didn't think that he had actually believed Ron. She looked at Fred disbelievingly. "I really can't believe you would listen to anything Ron would have to say, especially if it has to do with me. I'm far from a conquest and we both know that. LeStrange would have cut something on me, regardless. He just happened to know that I was paired with you. Please don't blame yourself for what happened to me." Fred looked at her and smiled, leaning forward to kiss her. "You're right, love. I can't believe I listened to Ron. The only thing he's ever been is jealous." Hermione smiled back and laid back down on his shoulder. They laid in contented silence. Molly found them in that position half an hour later.  
"I just talked to Healer Gallen and once he has the parchments drawn up, you, Ron, and Ginny will be released." "Oh good, I'm ready to go home. I really don't like being here. I think I'm going to go take a shower then." She absentmindedly rubbed her new mudblood scar as she walked to the shower. Standing under the hot water, she moaned out loud. The hot water felt amazing to her sore muscles. She glanced down at the new cuts on her body. They were almost completely faded. She was grateful that Molly had brought her shower items so she didn't have to use the general things provided by St. Mungos. The familiar scent of her shampoo put her at ease. After getting out, she dried off, charmed her hair dry and straight. She put on the clothes she had brought in with her, already feeling a thousand times better. George was talking with Fred when she reentered the room. He watched her warily. As she approached the bed to sit down, he stood and gave her a hug.  
"Hermione, I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I really wasn't trying to say you should tell us everything. You do have a right to your privacy. I just didn't understand why you wouldn't trust us with something that big. I'm sorry I said it like that though." She nodded into his shoulder. It was weird that she fit into his arms as perfectly as Fred's but it felt completely different. She pulled back and spoke.  
"George, it isn't that I didn't trust you all. It's that I didn't want to talk about it. If you had been tortured by dark magic and been fileted by a knife, permanently marked, would you want to talk about it? Bring it up and remember it all over again?" George looked uncomfortable. "Well, I guess not." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Sitting on the bed, Healer Gallen entered the room with a sheaf of parchment in his hands.  
"Miss Granger, I'm getting ready to dismiss you. Your scars are fading more and more every hour. By this time tomorrow, the two should be gone completely. As I stated, the one on your left forearm will remain. Your fiance has informed me of your recurring back pain due to aftereffects of the cruciatus curse. This isn't highly common but not unheard of. As you already know, it could take years for the condition to fade. I'm going to send some pain potion home with you for when the condition becomes too much to bear. I am also going to send you some calming draught for if you become anxious in the next few days and sleeping draught, as I'm sure you'll be having a few nightmares. I want you to rest the rest of the day and just take it east for a couple of days. Get your strength back." Hermione nodded at the healers instructions. Sighing, she signed the parchments he pushed towards her. After she signed them, Healer Gallen pushed them towards Fred. He looked surprised, but he signed them willingly. Healer Gallen smiled seeing his look. "Mr. Weasley, I need your signature as a precaution stating that I gave her instuctions and you also heard them. Take good care of her. You're free to leave. Good day." He left smiling.

Fred leaned over and kissed the side of her head and got up to gather her few personal items. She smiled up at him, glad to be going home. George slung his arm around her slim shoulders, leaned in to her ear, and whispered dramatically, "Freddie's becoming quite the housewife. You've already whipped him." Hermione turned a delicate pink color while Fred shot him a dirty look. "Don't think I don't know you do this for Angelina. I see right through you brother of mine." George gave him a grin. Ron, Harry, and Ginny stopped at her door. Ginny and Ron looked much better. Harry's face was still slightly puffy, but he was in much better condition as well. She rushed to the four of them and they met in a hug. After a minute of hugging, a voice behind them cleared. Hermione lifted her head.

Lavender stood behind them with her arms crossed. A cold look was plastered across her face. Ron let go of her and Ginny's shoulders and backed away, heading towards Lavender. He grabbed her hand and they walked past Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and the twins. She directed a look of hatred at Hermione but said nothing. Hermione turned her attention to Ginny.  
"How are you Ginny? Ok?" Ginny smiled at her. Harry looked somewhat miserable.  
"I'm great, Hermione. Much better than I was. I'm guessing you're better?" The group started walking towards the entrance. "I'm loads better. The two scars are almost gone. The healers couldn't get rid of the mudblood scar since it was old but the potions they gave me were able to get rid of the other two." She pulled down her shirt a little so Ginny could see. "That's amazing, that is! Thank the gods, though. That would have been terrible if they couldn't." Hermione saw Harry glance at her chest when she showed Ginny and saw relief reflect in his eyes. When the group reached the apparition point, they all joined hands. Letting Ginny take the lead, she apparated them to the Burrow.

Heading towards the door, Molly met them outside. She pulled Ginny, Harry, and Hermione all into a large hug. Shuffling them all into the house, they grinned to themselves. She herded them to the table where she has a light lunch set out. Hermione was quite hungry so appreciated the gesture very much. Fred pulled out her chair for her and then dished out her plate. Rolling her eyes, she accepted the plate graciously. After a few minutes, Hermione realized that Ron and Lavender were missing.  
"Where are Ron and Lavender? If I'm hungry, he must be starving." she asked. Molly looked disapproving. "He went to Lavender's to rest for the day." Hermione nodded her head. Molly continued on. "I know you three are supposed to rest but we're having a family dinner tonight. None of you are helping, you're resting. Just come down to eat. Fleur and Angelina are coming to help cook." Harry looked excited, as did the twins.

After eating, Fred pulled me up the stairs to my room and transfigured my clothes to lounge pants and tank top. He pulled back the covers of my bed, ordered me in, and tucked me back in. "Want some pain potion, love?" Fred asked her. She debated for a few moments. Nodding slightly, "Just a tiny bit. Laying on my side will help a lot." He gave her a swig of the potion that Healer Gallen sent home with her. He crawled in with her, holding her close. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, love. Then I'll be over in George's room working on new products if you need me, ok?" She wrapped her arm around his chest and buried her face in his shoulder. He rolled onto his side to face her. Her eyes were already becoming droopy. She felt him draw her into his chest and stroke her hair, putting her to sleep. Snuggling deeper into his chest, sleep completely claimed her.

Hermione woke to Fred stroking her hair. "Mia, love, it's almost dinner time. I hate to wake you but you need to eat also." She smiled up at him, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "It's ok, Freddie, I need to get up. I need to rest, but not sleep all day. Damn potion." She sat up slowly, testing her soreness. It seemed better. Stretching, her joints cracked. Fred shook his head. She stood up, running her hand through her hair. It was hopeless. She reached over and grabbed the brush, running it through her hair instead. Much better. Once her clothes were changed and she was presentable, she and Fred headed down the stairs to dinner.

They took their usual seats at the table in the garden, across from Ginny and Harry. Eventually talk turned to the attack on the foursome. Percy, the one always to say the awkward things, was true to form. "Harry, I know you took LeStrange's life, but you mustn't feel guilty. If you hadn't, someone else would have eventually." Harry looked up at Percy with a cold look in his eyes. The table went quiet.  
"Percy, I have no guilt whatsoever. That man was torturing the love of my life, my best mate, and my sister. Not to mention, he carved horrible things into my sister and told me I had to kill these people. I only hold guilt that I could do nothing but watch." Ginny took his hand and squeezed it, gave him a kiss, whispering something in his ear. It made him smile. Everyone tried to go back to normal.

Arthur spoke to the table after everyone had slowed eating. "Well in light of recent events, we have had to address security for the whole family." Bill stood up, taking over the conversation. "Now we all know what I do for Gringotts. The same kind of high-security wards they have are now in place here, Shell Cottage, Grimmauld Place, and Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Dad and I are considering the need for the fidelius charm on all these places, but haven't found it quite necessary yet. If Rodolphus LeStrange was still out there and willing to attack, there are others. Nobody goes anywhere alone anymore. Wands on your person at all times. As you all start getting married and moving into your own homes, I'll place these same wards on them as well." Hermione shook her head sadly. Bill saw the action and looked on questioningly. Harry looked on, angry.  
"Why are you shaking your head, Hermione? It's to keep you safe, so you don't get chopped up again. Isn't that what you want?" Harry spat out angrily. Hermione looked at him in surprise. The rest of the table did too. Ginny smacked him in the arm. Hermione held her ground. "It would be nice, but I was shaking my head because it's been two months since the end of the war and wards are back up around the house. It's just sad that we're back in the same situation. The family isn't safe because of us. Are we going to have to leave again to keep everyone safe?"

The table erupted in chaos.

Finally, Arthur stood and cast a silencing charm on the whole table. "Absolutely not. Nobody is leaving. There is no war, just rogue Death Eaters on the prowl. These wards will keep us safe. If there are spottings, we'll cast the fidelius charm and we'll be even safer. Nobody is leaving, is that understood?" Hermione and Harry nodded. He sat back down, having a silent conversation with Molly with their eyes. Harry looked at Hermione with a hateful look on his face. "Hermione, since when did you want to run away? This last time around finally make you realize that war isn't some bloody joke...that it's something to take serious?" Hermione didn't realize she had slapped him until the sound of skin hitting skin rang through the air. His hand came up to cradle the red handprint on his cheek.  
"Don't you ever say that to me again, Harry Potter." The tears were pouring down her cheeks before she walked off. She made it as far as the dock to the pond before Fred caught up with her. He wrapped her up in a hug. She began sobbing. "How could he say that about me? How could he even think that? I don't know why he's so mad at me, how could he..." She couldn't get anymore words out. She was on the verge of hysterical.

Fred knew he had to act. He whipped out his wand, summoning the calming draught St. Mungos had sent home with her, and gave her a healthy dose. Rocking her back and forth until the potion took effect, she sobbed into his shoulder. Fred knew exactly what made Harry yell at her. Guilt. He felt the most guilt about Hermione, but that didn't excuse what he had just done to her. Rage was coursing through his body. Hermione finally became still in his arms. She was awake, but barely. Swinging her up in his arms, he carried her up the path towards the house.

The table had been cleared. The family had moved into the house, Fleur and his mum doing the dishes, the rest of his family in the living room. His mum looked concerned when he came through the door carrying Hermione. "Is she alright?"  
"She was hysterical. I had to summon the calming draught the healer sent home with her. She's all but out now." Mollly twisted a towel in her hands.  
"Oh, Fred, he felt terrible after she left. He wants to apologize."  
"Well, he's not getting near her tonight. He can bugger off."

As he walked through the living room, Harry jumped off the couch and hurried towards Fred. Rage once again coursed through his body. "Fred, is she ok?" Fred stopped and gave him a cold look. "Why do you care?" Harry looked at him, looking incredibly sorry.  
"Look Fred, I shouldn't have said what I did. I feel terrible. But she's still like my sister. What's wrong with her?" Fred couldn't hold it in. He shifted her weight in his arms. Bringing his fist up, he hit Harry right in the mouth. Hermione didn't even stir. "Now that I feel a little better about the situation, I'll tell you. She was going spare. I summonned the calming draught St. Mungos sent home with her. After she was finished crying, I carried her up here, and now I'm putting her to bed." Harry nodded, holding his mouth. A trickle of blood ran down his chin. Fred pushed past him, heading up the stairs.

Once he made it to her room, he transfigured her clothes to comfortable pyjamas. He laid her in the unmade bed where she didn't stir. Heading to the loo, he changed his own clothes and took care of his teeth. Crawling into bed next to her, he rubbed his arms up and down over hers, trying to rid hers of the goosebumps that had broke out over her skin. His thoughts turned to her disappearing to try to keep him safe his own goosebumps broke out. Sweat broke out on his brow. He couldn't let her leave him, under no circumstances. Pulling her back to his chest, he wrapped his arm around her waist. There was no way in hell he was letting go.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Alrighty guys, there ya go! Hope you enjoyed (: Harry's got a bit of guilt going on there...please leave me some reviews! Thanks y'all! 


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- What y'all thinkin' of the story? Hope you are enjoying it (: Anyways, here's another chapter...Have fun!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 17 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 5, 1998

Hermione woke to a knock on the door. She sat up blearily, Fred hazily following suit. Stumbling to the door, she brushed the hair out of her face and started to rub her eyes. Fred still appeared half asleep. She jerked the door open before she realized she was still in her little shorts and tank top Fred had put her in. Thank goodness it was just Harry. Just Harry. As the night befores events flashed through her brain, her face fell. His lip was swollen and had a split in it.  
"Hermione, can I please talk to you?" He asked her. Fred shrugged his shoulders at her. Hermione looked back into Harry's miserable face. She stepped back and lifted her chin. "Sure, Harry, come on it." Harry walked past her warily. Fred stayed in his spot on the bed and Hermione didn't ask him to move.

Harry reached out and took Hermione's hand. "Hermione, I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean any of it. I was thoughtless and hateful and deserved the slap you gave me and the hit in the mouth Fred gave me." Hermione shot a look at Fred. Harry continued on like he hadn't noticed. "I just feel so bloody guilty for that bastard catching us. For hurting you and Ginny and Ron. For you and Ginny the most. You the absolute most, because you were the strongest and got the worst. He dished it to you the worst because you didn't give him the screams he wanted because you were trying to spare me. I was just so angry at the guilt I have, and I took it out on you. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me, please say you can. You're my sister, you've been with me through everything and I just couldn't take it if you hated me now." Hermione reached out to him and gave him a hug. "Harry, don't be dense. I don't think I could ever hate you. You're my brother, I love you. None of what happened was your fault. You saved all of us, that's the truth, so please quit blaming yourself. I was trying to spare you pain, but I knew that it wasn't working. I still didn't scream after I knew that he would torture me worse. I was being my same old stubborn self, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. That was my fault, not yours. Deep down, you know that. I should have screamed, it might have made it easier. Doubtfully, he told me before you got there he had something special planned for me. So please, clear your mind." She released him and he smiled at her. His eyes were clear for the first time since they had been attacked. She lifted her wand, muttered an incantation, and healed his lip.  
"Now get out of here, let me get dressed." He placed a kiss on her forehead and left her room.

Hermione sank back onto the bed next to Fred and laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping arms around his arm. "You didn't have to hit him, you know." She stated, looking up at him reprovingly. He turned to her and kissed the top of her head, patting her leg. "Of course I did, love. I promised to take care of you. Nobody is going to talk to you like that. Nobody is going to make you cry. If I had said something like that, I would fully expect him, standing in as somebody as close as your brother, to deck me too." She smiled at him slightly and pulled him in for a long kiss. When she finally pulled back for a breath, she whispered to him softly, "I love you, Freddie." Still cupping her face in his hands, he smiled at her. "I love you too, Mia. Now go get ready for breakfast before you start something we shouldn't be finishing yet." Hermione gave a wide grin as she went into the loo to shower.

Coming downstairs after showering, she realized that Ron and Lavender had returned. Arthur had just finished filling him in on the new wards that had been placed over the Burrow for the family's protection. After Fred and Hermione sat down and began eating breakfast, Harry cleared his throat. Ginny had a wide smile on her face.

"I have an announcement. If everyone would please listen without interrupting, I would appreciate it. The day that LeStrange took us, I had an appointment with Gringotts. I had assumed it was all bad but it was completely the opposite. They tried to reach me on my seventeenth birthday but couldn't find me, as I was on the run with Hermione and Ron. The vault of money I have been living on since my eleventh birthday was apparently just for day to day expenses. On my seventeenth birthday, I came into the full Potter fortune. Also, as I was Sirius' only heir, I came into the Black fortune as well. Gringotts had both itemized for me. It is...quite extensive. Well over 300,000 million galleons." There was a collective gasp over the table. Harry pulled something out of his pocket. "These are for you." Harry laid a key in front of Ron, a piece of parchment in front of Arthur, and a piece of parchment in front of Hermione. Nobody looked at the items, let alone picked them up. "I know none of you will want to take these, but you have no choice. Ron, this vault is open in your name and has the sum of 500,000 galleons in it. If you ever run out, just ask and I'll give you more. You've been the best friend a bloke could ask for. Always had my back. You've never asked for anything in return, just put your life on the line time and time again. Thanks, mate. Arthur, Molly, thats a receipt. I've deposited 500,000 galleons into your vault with the express instructions to not let it be returned. You two have been there for me when nobody has. Cared for me like the parents I didn't get to enjoy. Shown me the love I didn't get to have as a child. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have fun with the money. Blow it. When it's gone, theres more than enough where it came from. I'll give you twice as much over. Hermione, that's also a receipt. I've deposited 500,000 galleons into the vault that you and Fred now share. I hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me. Also with the instructions for it not to be returned. You saved my life I don't know how many times. Voldemort would have won clear back in first year with the devils snare if not for you. This is just a small token of thanks. All of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart." The table remained quiet. Molly's eyes shone with tears. She walked over and hugged Harry. Arthur stood and shook his hand. Ron still hadn't picked up the key but Lavender's eyes were shining with excitement.

"Harry, I...I don't know how to thank you. It's too...too much really..." Hermione stuttered. "No, really it isn't. It isn't enough. But it'll be a start." Harry laughed at her reaction. Ron finally stood up and gave Harry a hug. "Thanks, mate. You really didn't have to do this. Hermione and I stood beside you because we were your friends not because we wanted your money." Harry nodded. "I know, Ron. That's why you deserve it. Come on, lets get to training. We're going to be late." With a wave, Harry kissed Ginny and he, Ron, and Lavender departed.

Fred refused to look at the receipt. Hermione picked it up gingerly and handed it to him. "Want to put this with your book keeping stuff?" He nodded solemnly to her, his eyes downcast. Getting up, he went upstairs to put it in her desk. There were footsteps behind him. Hermione had followed him upstairs.

"What's wrong, Freddie?" she asked him with her arms crossed, leaning in the doorway. He hung his head, sighing deeply. "Nothing really, I guess. I've just never been given that much money before. It killed us to take the money to start the joke shop. And this is so much more, and we don't even need it." Hermione came up behind him and ran her hands up and down his back, lightly scratching it. "We don't have to use it. It can stay there, never touched. We can pass it to our kids. They can use it when we die. Or give it to our grandkids. Do you like that idea better?" He turned around and kissed her on top of the head. "No, Mia, spend what you want. It's your money. You want to go shopping for a better ring? I'll take you." She pushed him away from her.  
"You really think I'm that superficial? I love the ring you got me! I don't give a damn about money. If I did, I would have been telling Harry I wanted more. He's obviously got plenty and no problem handing out more. I like to have the money there with the thought of giving it to our children when we die, not to go out and spend. It hurts that you think I want to just go out and upgrade everything that means something to me. Plus, it's our money. We're going to be married, so what's mine is yours." He sighed and drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm a prat. I really don't think you're superficial. I suppose I just got a little insecure for a moment. Forgive me?" She reached up and wrapped her arms aruond his neck, pulling his head down to kiss him. "Of course, Freddie. But truly, I love my ring. I wasn't lying when I said I'd treasure it always." She let go of him, grabbing his hand. "Come on, we better get to the shop."  
"You aren't coming. You're staying here and resting."  
"Fred, I have to. I can't sit here. Let me come run the register. I'll sit down all day, I promise. I'll even leave at lunch if you want to help Ginny with the wedding. Please just let me get out of the house." Fred sighed and wiped his hand down his face. Why couldn't he tell her no?  
"Fine. You're sitting the whole time, leaving at lunch, helping Ginny for only a couple hours and then taking a nap. Understood?" She nodded to him eagerly.

All but skipping to the apparition point, she had a smile plastered to her face. He explained the situation to George, who agreed that was probably best. Molly clucked disapprovingly, but let her go. She and Ginny started working on seating arrangements. Fred, George, and Hermione linked hands and apparated to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Upon arriving, they lowered the wards for Dean, Seamus, and Lee when they arrived. They arrived not shortly after. Fred and George went to the back room, leaving the three men to stock shelves and sweep the floor and Hermione to set the register. After thirty minutes, George unlocked the door, letting their first customers in.

When Fred came out of the back room four hours later, he was glad he had told Hermione she had to leave at lunch time. She looked exhausted. The customer she had seemed to be arguing with her about a return policy. He came up behind her, placing a hand on her lower back. The muscles were spasming. A hiss pulled through her teeth. Instantly pulling his upwards, he stepped in. "Is there anything I can help you with sir?" The man looked livid. "Yes, maybe you'll understand better than this girl. This potion is no good and I want my money back." Hermione put her face in her hand and shook her head. "Fred, he has no receipt, the label is scratched off and he bought it six months before the war. It's no good. If the potion is even what he says it is. I'm not trying it." Fred examined the bottle for a moment. "Sir, I have to agree with her. I can't give you a refund at this time. That potion, if it's what the bottle says it is, expires after three months. I'm sorry." The man's face turned red and he threw the bottle on the counter, not caring that it exploded into dozens of tiny pieces, and stormed out of the shop.

Fred turned to look at Hermione, who now had a trickle of blood running from her hairline down her cheek. The glass from the bottle had cut her. She was still silent. "Bloody hell." He brought out his wand, cleaning the blood off her face and healing the cut first, then cleaning up the mess. She seemed to let out a breath and then she spoke. "Gods, Freddie, he was such an arse. Thanks for fixing the cut." He leaned in and kissed her head where the cut had been. He lead her around the counter by the hand, took George aside and whispered in his ear, and took her to the back room He wrapped his arm around her waist and apparated her to the Burrow. He sent her upstairs, telling her to change into something comfortable. He bends low to Ginny's ear and talks low. "Mia isn't helping you with the wedding today. She can't hardly stand her back hurts so bad. I'm going to give her a massage, give her pain potion and make her take a nap before I go back to the shop. She's staying home tomorrow so she can help you then."  
"Oh, poor Hermione. That's fine. Go take care of her." Ginny told him. "Don't say that to her, Gin. I think that's why she didn't tell anyone to begin with. She didn't want any pity." Ginny nodded understandingly.

Fred found her already laying on the bed. He went into the bathroom, coming out with the two potions. She saw which two and sat up and took her shirt, looking grateful. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, while laying back down.  
"I would say so, when you jumped out of your skin when I barely touched your back." He started massaging her. "Freddie, you know me too well." She moaned. He laughed out loud. "Mia, I don't think that's possible, or a bad thing." She nodded into the pillow. His hands worked their magic on her muscles, literally. After an hour of massaging her shredded muscles, he made her sit up and take pain potion.  
"Love, I'm going back to the shop to help George with the afternoon rush but you sleep and rest your back. I already told Mum and Ginny what's going on. You're not coming in tomorrow. I told Ginny you would stay and help her plan tomorrow. You need to work up to the shop, alright? Stay here and relax. I'll see you this evening. I love you, Mia." He leaned forward and kissed her. She ran her hand through his hair and kissed him back. "I love you too, Freddie. Thank you for everything." She released his hair, smiled up at him, the smile reaching her caramel eyes, rolled over, and started to drift off to sleep.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Boom! Another chapter down...please leave me reviews and let me know what you think (: 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- You guys got lucky today and got two chapters since I have to keep my leg elevated all day and the kids are outside all day! I like to keep a chapter or two ahead, after all (: Sorry this one isn't too exciting, but hey, they can't all be lol!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 18 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 11, 1998

Hermione woke satisfied. The lovemaking with Fred the night before had been hot and intense. She shivered in delight at the memory. Fred felt her shiver and his arms tightened around her naked form. Snuggling deeper into his embrace, she felt him stir, burying his face into her neck and hair.  
"Morning Freddie." She started stroking his arm.  
"Good morning my dear, sweet, sexy Mia." He pressed a kiss to the back of her head while trailing a hand down her side over her hip. She gave a low chuckle. "You know we don't have time for that, Freddie. We have Ginny's party to get ready for. It's going to be early since Harry has her surprise this evening." Fred matched her chuckle.  
"I know, love. I know better than to mess up Ginny's birthday. Do you know what her surprise is?"  
"Of course I do." She answered indignantly, crawling out of bed. "You're going to tell me, right?" She looked at him mortified. "No! I wouldn't ruin Harry's gift! It's a really good gift. She'll love it." He smiled as he headed towards the shower. "Alright, alright, love. Keep Harry's secret. You know I'll find out eventually."

Hermione got her outfit ready while Fred was in the shower. She chose the same jeans she had worn for Harry's party, but a different shirt, a lavender color princess cut top. Fred strolled out of the loo wearing only his boxers riding on his slim hips. She couldn't help it, her heart started to race. Before she started something they didn't have time to finish, she headed for the shower.

After shampooing and washing, she got out and toweled off. She charmed her hair dry and wavy today, applied her makeup and perfume and got dressed. Staring at her mudblood scar in the mirror, she made a decision. She left the room without applying her usual disillusionment charm. Fred had accepted her, as had her new family, for who she was. She no longer needed to hide it. She didn't care what anyone else thought about her. She was proud of who she was.

She walked downstairs and sat at the table to drink her tea. Guests for Ginny's party would be arriving in a few hours so they weren't having breakfast. Everyone was carrying on conversation. Ginny was actually talking to Percy, which surprised Hermione. Angelina was on George's other side, showing up to help with the party preparation. Christine had just walked through the door. Charlie got up and greeted her with a kiss. Fred looked over her and brushed a kiss against her forehead. Hermione reached up to brush a hair off her face at the same time Ron looked over at her. His eyes widened. She looked at him questioningly.  
"Hermione, your scar. We can see it, you aren't covering it up." Ron voiced loudly. She choked slightly, but refused to look down at it, or cover it up.  
"No, Ronald, I'm not covering it anymore. I know who I am, Fred knows who I am. You all accept me and I refuse to hide it anymore. If it offends anyone here, I shouldn't be here." Hermione looked him right in the eyes. To Ron's credit, he held her gaze, giving her a slight smile. "I'm glad, Hermione. Nobody here cares about a scar on your arm." Molly came around the table and gave her a hug that enveloped her, while Fred squeezed her hand. Everyone else was smiling at her, except Christine. She looked somewhat uncomfortable. Hermione ignored her expression.

Angelina and Hermione stood, clearing the tea cups from the table. The cooking began. Before ten minutes had passed, Bill and Fleur arrived and Fleur began to help. Ginny tried to join but they refused to let her. Andromeda joined in the gossip and fun when she and Teddy arrived. Hermione took him tenderly from his grandmother's arms before Harry could get ahold of him. She rocked him back and forth, soothing him when he started to fuss. Standing by the windown in the living room for quiet, she relished the feel of an infant in her arms. The maternal instinct was coursing through her. Feeling arms wind around her waist, she turned to find Fred's chin resting on her shoulder.  
"Mia, I'm not going to lie, you look bloody hot with a baby in your arms. I can't wait til it's mine. It's going to have the Weasley hair, they always do, but have your perfect eyes and your smarts. It's going to be beautiful." She smiled up at him guiltily. "I was actually thinking the same thing, how great it felt to have a baby in my arms. But I want our baby to look just like you. I love your blue eyes, not my boring ones. But we don't get a choice, we'll get what we get." She gave him a kiss. "I guess I better go surrender this little guy to Harry before he has a heart attack and finish with the cooking." Fred released her and she would her way through the Weasley men to Harry. She handed a crying Teddy over to Harry, who had a look of utter delight on his face.

Friends from school, friends from the Order, past professors were arriving. Hermione quit cooking because she was getting interrupted by opening the door. She was especially happy to see Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. "Miss Granger, how are you? Have you recovered?" Hermoine gave a smile to her stern professor who insisted on calling her by her surname.  
"Yes, Professor, quite. I'm back to normal." Professor McGonagall gave her a small smile of her own. "I'm very glad to hear that. We were most worried when we heard about what happened." Moving on, she went to talk to Molly. Hermione flashed a smile to Professors Slughorn and Flitwick.

Walking out into the garden, she found the Weasley boys gorging on Molly's excellent meal. She laughed to herself. She didn't know where their appetite came from, but they sure could put the food away. Fixing herself a plate, she found an empty seat by Andromeda. "How have you been, Andie? Teddy running you spare?" Andromeda laughed.  
"You have no idea. That child is just like his mother. He pushes my limit every day, but the second I think I can't take another second, he smiles that sweet smile at me and my heart melts. I just can't be mad anymore after that. What can I say, he's got me wrapped around his little finger." Hermione laughed with her. "I can see Tonks being just like that. It's not surprising that she would pass that trait onto her son." "What have you been up to, Hermione? Besides being attacked by my crazed brother-in-law?" Andie asked her, nibbling on her food. Hermione answered her animatedly. "Oh, I've kept busy. I've been helping Ginny plan her wedding. I'm also helping Fred and George out at the shop three days a week or so on the register while they work in product developement. Before long, I'll have to start planning my own wedding. We set our wedding date for January 13." Andromeda nodded her head. "It does sound like you've been busy. Dear, I'm so happy you've set a date and that you're happy. I must admit, I feared for you when I heard of this marriage law business. There is still persecution against muggleborns. Thank the gods you were paired with Fred." As she stood up to go clear her plate, Andromeda patted Hermione on the cheek.

Before Hermione could comment further, Harry clapped his hands and yelled, "Present time!"  
Everyone gathered towards the front of the garden. Molly came out carrying a cake in the shape of a quaffle. Ginny gasped in surprise. Everyone came forth with their gifts and laid them on the table. Molly and Arthur's, traditionally, were first. Ginny loved every gift. At Harry's request, she saved his for last. When she came to his, it was but a simple envelope. She looked at him questioningly, ripping the the top open. As she opened it, she gasped,  
"Oh my gods, Harry, this is just too much! This is just amazing!" She exclaimed, eyeing the pieces or parchment in her hand closely. He chuckled.  
"Would you rather I exchange them?"  
"Umm, no. Thats not necessary. I rather like my gift." She stated.  
"Well that's good. We're going to be staying at Grimmauld Place, as it's going to be a late night. Kreacher will take excellent care of us. Your parents have already given permission for every part of this plan." Ginny screeched her enjoyment and threw herself into her mother's arms.  
Fred whispered into Hermione's ear. "Mind if I ask what he actually got her?" She grinned behind her hand."He bought her tickets to a Holyhead Harpie game for the two of them for tonight." He whistled. "Wow, he's really sucking up." Hermione swatted his arm.

Hermione got up to help Molly clear the tables and dishes while Ginny got ready to go the quidditch match with Harry. Most of the guests milled around outside, chatting. Angelina and Christine eventually made their way into the kitchen to help clear up. Ron and Lavender walked through the kitchen holding hands. Ron paused in the doorway. "Mum, I'm going to Lavender's since Ginny and Harry are leaving. It's her mum's birthday too." Molly nodded her head in response since Angelina was in the middle of story about her and George.

After clearing up and making rounds through all the guests, Hermione decided she was going to head upstairs for peace and quiet. Spotting Andromeda getting ready to leave with Teddy, she hurried over, stealing one last cuddle before she left. Holding the infant close to her chest, she rocked him while Andromeda put her cloak on. "Promise you'll bring him to Percy's birthday party Andie. He's so precious, and he just has to grow up knowing all his aunts and uncles." Andromeda looked her strangely for a moment and Hermione smiled at her before replying.  
"Now, Andie, I know that Tonks and Remus made only Harry godfather, but we all loved them. Did you really think that we would all let Teddy grow up without a family? The Weasleys adopted Harry and I long ago, and we were lucky enough to officially become part of the family. Teddy may not officially be a Weasley but we all love him, and that's what really makes a family." Andromeda pulled Hermione into a hug, careful not to crush Teddy. "Thank you, Hermione. You have no idea what that means to me. I didn't want to be the only thing that Teddy has in this world. After all, I won't be around forever." Hermione laughed. "Don't even worry about that. This little sweetie wrapped everyone in this family around his finger the first time we saw him. He'll have us all for as long as he wants us." She handed him back to Andromeda, who took him into her arms. She stepped up to the fireplace to floo home. Covering Teddy's face, she spun out of sight. Hermione startled at a voice behind her.

"You know, you're completely right." Fred stepped out of the shadows, walking up behind her to give her a kiss. Hermione gave another light laugh.  
"I usually am, but what about this time?"  
"He isn't a Weasley, but he always will be. Because love is what makes family, and we all love that little tyke." She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her cheek against his chest. "How could we not? He's a piece of Remus...of Tonks. He's their legacy. It's our job to help pass on what they couldn't." Fred nodded against the top of her head.  
"Too right you are, love. On a more cheerful note, I'm passing on how to play the best pranks ever." She looked up at him and saw the old mischievious sparkle in his eyes. From the distance, she could hear someone yelling. He stepped back, grabbed her hand and started walking towards the door going to the quidditch pitch. The yelling was getting louder. Hermione stopped.  
"Wait. Speaking of pranks, did you..." Fred nodded. "Of course, Ginny said George and I could as long as she was already gone. We chose Percy. He would think we didn't love him or something if we never played pranks on him. Everything he picks up to drink is turning to ice. And it can't be melted." Hermione giggled into her hand.  
"Now come on, before he catches me and tries to hex me!"  
Hermione let herself be drug off into the darkness by her prankster fiance, trying to stifle her giggles along the way.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Hope you enjoyed...I tried to show that Fred and George are still pranking even though they are getting married! Kind of a boring chapter, sorry! They can't all be super exciting (: Later!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N- Hey, hey guys...hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. Some sweet moments with Andromeda (: As always, let me know what ya think...and onwards we go!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 19 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 14, 1998

Hermione was quite certain that Ginny was the wizarding version of Bridezilla. They had spent the past three hours trying to decide on a final menu for the reception after her wedding but Ginny kept changing her mind. Molly was going spare. Hermione had voiced the idea of a caterer so they could deal with Ginny's mood changes and outbursts, but Molly pointed out that not only would the magic around the house be obvious, they wouldn't be able to find it. After a particular hateful outburst, Molly had gotten tears in her eyes and left the room. Moments later, Ginny followed crying to her mother how sorry she was for being such a brat. Molly had returned reluctantly and Ginny had been better, she had even decided on part of the menu. All that remained was desserts. Hermione threw her opinion in. "I say make it simple. We already have cake. Just have a chocolate mousse."  
Ginny looked baleful. "But I really wanted a strawberry tart. That's my favorite." Hermione argued, trying to make life easier for Molly. "Are you even going to be eating, Gin? In your dress, all that food and drink, plus dancing? Think about it." Ginny slowly nodded her head.  
"Alright, you're right. I won't be eating, and chocolate mousse will be easier on Mum to make. Let's do that." Finally. The menu was decided. Hermione almost wanted to dance. Her stomach gave away her true intentions though. It growled loudly. Molly heard.

"Well, girls, in celebration of finally deciding on a menu, why don't we floo to the Leaky Cauldron for some lunch before we start supper for the rest of the family?" Hermione and Ginny both nodded enthusiasthically. After straightening her hair and placing her teacup in the sink, they flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. For early afternoon, it was surprisingly not busy.

Hermione ordered her customary fish and chips and cup of tea, not really paying attention to what Ginny and Molly ordered. She was looking out the window towards Diagon Alley, always on the lookout since the first of August. Molly brought her out of her world with a startling question.  
"So, Hermione, dear, how are you and Freddie getting along? I know you've fought a couple times but that's always bound to happen in a relationship. Honestly, I think the two of you are a much better match than you and Ron would have been." Hermione looked at her astounded. "We're fine. Great, actually. How did you know that we've fought?" Molly and Ginny both laughed at the question.  
"Dear, I know you and Fred have been sleeping in the same bed for quite awhile now, you are now having sex, despite your excellent silencing charms, you fought about pain, ran into George and ran half naked to Ginny, having problems with Ron's jealousy, Fred was upset about the money Harry gave you, and that my once 'ladies man' son can't seem to get enough of you. A mother knows everything, which you'll soon learn. I will have you know, I'm not the happiest about the sleeping arrangements but as you will all be married in less than six months, have a magical devotion to each other, if not otherwise, I don't see that there is anything I can do about it. You would just be trying to sneak around my back, exposing yourselves needlessly to dangers that aren't necessary. So I ask, are you happy with Fred? I know he wasn't your type in school but this magic bond they did seems to think you're perfect for each other."

Hermione was shaking her head, blushing slightly, with a smile spread across her face. "Actually, I used to have a crush on Fred in my fourth year. He always used to have so much fun and I could just never seem to let loose. I was always so jealous of that freedom. I never in a million years thought that he would like someone like me so I eventually moved on. He just told me recently that he liked me at the same time. I really am happy with him. This sounds so funny because I never thought of myself as a maternal sort of person, but I can't wait to have children. I know it's the bond that they spelled us with, but I don't care. You know, Molly, you're going to get a lot of grandchildren, all of once." An excited smile tugged at her mouth. "I know, and I can't wait. It will be so exciting!" The conversation turned to small talk for the rest of the meal, making the time pass in a much more pleasurable manner than it had that morning.

The three women decided to head back to Burrow to start cooking since it was getting on in the afternoon and they were having a family dinner that night. Once the meal has been started, an owl arrives with a note from Percy.

Mum,

I'm sorry I won't be there for supper tonight. I have to stay late for work and Penny just owled me and said that her family is having a celebration for her sisters birthday. Please tell everyone I'm sorry.

Percy

Molly relayed the message and Ginny seemed sad. "There won't be anyone for Fred and George to play pranks on now." Molly tried to look stern but didn't quite pull it off, a smile showing through. The family began to arrive from work, ready for a good hearty meal. Ginny promptly sends Harry up to shower after his auror training. When Fred and George show up and Fred gives Hermione a lingering kiss on her jaw, she blushes, knowing that Molly knows just how intimate their relationship is. Ron and Lavender are the last to arrive, she looking perfect in a three quarter sleeve red blouse that showed just enough cleavage and skin tight jeans.

Ron dashed upstairs to shower off from training, while Lavender had a seat at the table. Hermione was jealous of her perfect long blond hair. She decided to try to make friends with her. Maybe she felt threatened. "Lavender, your hair looks so nice. Do you do it yourself or get it done somewhere?" Hermione asked her. Lavender's eyes spun around to her and she smiled so sweetly it was apparent it wasn't genuine.  
"Oh, I just do it myself. Just a charm here and there. Maybe I could help you with yours sometime." she offered. Hermione tried to smile back. "Yeah Lavender, that would be great." Ron bounded back down the stairs as they were loading the table down with all the food. Everyone had loaded their plate and started in before Hermione could think of anything else to say to Lavender. Fred squeezed her hand under the table to show his support of what she had been trying to do. Still full from the meal from the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione picked at her food.

After inhaling his food, Ron stood up, holding Lavender's hand. "We finally set a date. We're getting married March 5. It's gonna be great. Look at her ring." Lavender stood up and showed the table her ring. It was a large muggle diamond in the center and on each side was another diamond. It had cost a fortune. Lavender was going on about it and how much it had cost.  
"Well, now that Ronnie has all that money, he wanted me to have the best ring. He knew I was worth it. Diamonds are the best gem, they say. What's that saying? Diamonds are a girls best friend? Well, my ring definetly means something -" Hermione cut her off. She had had enough. She wouldn't have her rubbing money in her family's face.  
"The cost doesn't mean a thing, Lavender. It's the thought behind it. Fred may not have spent near as much as Ron did, but he put time and thought into the color and type of gem in each part of my ring. That in itself makes me treasure it more than anything. He cared enough to spend time making sure he got something I would like. If you like your ring, I'm happy for you. But it shouldn't matter what it costs." Molly and Fleur both nodded their agreement. Lavender didn't say anything else about her ring, Ron just said a few more comments about their chosen wedding day.

After helping clear up the table, Hermione bade everyone an early goodnight, claiming that she wanted a good nights sleep for a busy day at the shop the next morning. She kisses Fred chastely on the cheek before heading up the stairs. She changes into her night clothes and is just settling into the bed when Fred comes through the door. He wastes no time. Stripping off his clothes, he crawls into bed with her, pulling her close. He gives her a thoroughly indecent kiss on her soft mouth, making her chuckle.  
"What was that for, Mr. Weasley?" He spread her hair out on his chest, fingering it lightly. The smell of peaches wafted up into his face.  
"For putting that materialistic little bitch in her place. For making me feel better about not having all the money in the world to buy you the ring you deserve. And for knowing that I really did put a lot of thought into your ring, without me telling you. And for making me love you even more." He lifted her on top of him and pulled her shirt off of her. She offered no resistance. Instead, she leaned down and cupped his face, offering him her mouth. He accepted greedily.

His tongue probed for entrance and she granted him full access. Their tongues danced a fiery dance. His fingers left a fiery trail down her spine. She sat up, smiling at his grimace of disappointment. She leaned down and kissed down his jaw, leaving a wet trail down his neck to his collarbone. When she began licking along his chest, lightly nipping on her way down, he groaned, grabbing hold of her hair. When she reached his waist line, she lightly dragged her nails from the top of his shoulders down the front of his chest. Taking him fully in her mouth, he groaned again. She bobbed up and down, running her tongue on the bottom side of his swollen member. Not even aware of it, his hands buried themselves deeper in her hair. Feeling him tense up, she plunged the entire length of his cock into her mouth, his cum warm and salty. Sucking him clean, she swallowed his seed, instantly making him hard again. He didn't even give her time to perform charms with her wand. Throwing her back on the bed, she giggled as he tried to wriggle her out of her shorts. "Aww come on, Freddie, you're a master at magic, and you can't get my shorts off?" He growled at her playfully, flipping her over on her face. Getting her shorts untangled from her ankles was quite a feat, but when he succeeded she was breathless with need.

Leaning over her, he entered her swiftly from behind with one stroke. The power behind it took her breath away, leaving her weak. He reached under her chest, catching her before she could fall. Regaining herself, she was ready for the next. He gripped her hips, her shapely hips, and sheathed himself inside her tightness again and again. She was getting closer to climax, he could feel her clenching down on him. He smacked her hip, just enough to sting, and it seemed to finish her off. Her moans echoed through room. As soon as she released, he couldn't hold his in any longer. He exploded inside her. They both fell to the bed, out of breath.  
"Was that ok, Mia? I didn't hurt you, did I? Hitting you like that?" he asked her, suddenly worried.  
Her head swiveled around to look at him. She had a smile on her face.  
"No, Freddie, it didn't hurt. I think it made me cum harder. I don't want to do it all the time, but I definetly like it." He watched with amazement as she sat up and began to perform the cleansing charms. Once she was satisfied with the charms, he held his arms open. She willingly went into them, flicking out the lamp as she did. He noticed a welt on her perfect skin where he had hit her. He felt regret, no matter how much she said she had liked it.

As she snuggled up to him, he reached down and stroked it. After a minute, she reached down and grabbed his hand, bringing it up to wrap it around her breast. She leaned forward and kissed his fingers. "I love you, Freddie." She whispered to him.  
"I love you, Mia." He bent forward and kissed her bare shoulder. After a minute or two, her body relaxed and he could tell she was asleep. He buried his face in her hair, breathed in deeply, smelling peaches, and drifted off to sleep.

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	20. Chapter 20

A/N- Alright, I have a vision for this chapter of how I want it to go...I just hope I can pull it off. Hang tough with me, alright?

Side note...I've gone to posting just one chapter instead of two for the time being since they have been sort of on the long side. On the shorter ones, I will attempt to post two at a time again. Thanks y'all!

I also got a SUPER nice review saying that I have formatting problems...if you guys are experiencing these problems, I am so sorry. I truly have formatted this, but apparently the site doesn't like my work? Hell if I know...I have looked at the story from a friends computer and my phone as well and it looks fine to me, but for those that it doesn't, I am truly sorry :(

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 20 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 22, 1998

"Five more days...oh my gods, five more days, and I'm going to be married!" Ginny was having a minor anxiety attack.  
"Ginny, calm down. You're going to be fine. The wedding will be perfect. You'll be beautiful Now stop squirming so the seamstress can stitch your dress." Ginny nodded her head and took calming breaths.  
Molly and Fleur were busy getting fitted as well so there was nobody else to calm Ginny down. Luna was watching the seamstress' fingers fly over the fabric at Fleur's waist. This could have been done faster with magic but would have been extremely suspicious.

The men were supposed to be getting fitted in their robes today as well, but as it was taking place at Madam Malkins, it would be done in a trice. If their muggle seamstress didn't pick up her pace, they wouldn't make it for the men's fitting. After the last stitches were sewn, Ginny twirled. Gorgeous, as predicted. The blond seamstress looked at Hermione expectantly. She went back with Ginny and they helped each other change. Hermione gave Ginny's dress a look after she had it back in the plastic.  
"You know, Gin, the next time you have that on, you'll be getting married. We're really going to get to be sisters. I've always considered you a best friend, but now we really get to be sisters." She bestowed Ginny with a hug.  
"Eeeek! I'm so nervous Hermione! Not about spending the rest of my life with Harry, just that things will go wrong. I've always thought of you as my surrogate sister, since I never had one. Now it'll just be for real." Unwrapping Hermione's dress, she helped her step into it. It only needed minor alterations. Everyone else was finishing up as the seamstress finished up taking in the waist of the dress of her dress and letting the hem down just a bit to just barely brush the floor. Hermione was getting uncharacteristically impatient.

After leaving with their altered dresses, they stopped at the Burrow to drop off their dresses first. Heading to Madam Malkins, they met Arthur, Harry, Bill, Ron, and Neville on their way out of the shop. They had obviously had a quicker fitting than the girls had. Before she could get drawn into a conversation about dresses and robes, Hermione made excuses to go to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Maybe an afternoon there would get rid of her bad mood.  
"Make sure you apparate right now, dear. You aren't walking by yourself." Molly reminded her. Hermione bit back a snide reply, but turned on the spot, ending up right outside the front door of the shop. Walking through the front door, the air inside was hot and heavy. It was a busy day.

George was at the register, waving at her as he noticed her walking through the door. "And to what do we owe the pleasure, Miss Granger?" He swept into a bow before her, making her cheeks tinge pink in front of the customers.  
"I got bored with dress altering and for some reason I'm in a bad mood. Do you have anything I can do away from people? Everything seems to be rubbing me wrong today." George made a show of thinking, which was beginning to annoy her. At this moment, Fred came around a corner and saw her, delight lighting up his face.  
"Mia, I thought you were dress altering today, and then doing robe altering with Harry and the guys. Not that I'm complaining." He swept her in a hug and swung her around in a cirle. "Bloody hell, Fred, put me down. I only came here to do some work and get everyone out of my hair. I'm tired of Ginny freaking out her wedding won't be perfect, your mum warning me not to walk a block by myself, and you two joking about everything. I just want away from everyone. Just find me something to do where I don't have to talk to anyone or listen to anyone whine." She instantly regretted her words. She could have slapped him in the face. George was quiet. After a moment, he spoke when his twin seemed at a loss for words.  
"Sure, Hermione, you can come back here and make some more of the Wonder Witch products for us. Nobody will bother you back here." He started to lead her to the back. She followed in silence. Once in the back room, he rifled through a book and gave her the instructions to the potions he wanted brewed. He paused at the door. "If you need anything, let me know."

After four hours of brewing the needed potions, Hermione rolled her neck and shoulders. She cleaned up her mess, bottled and packaged the remaining potions, and headed out of the back room. It was closing time. Lee, Dean, and Seamus were stocking shelves and sweeping the floor. Fred and George were at the register talking in quiet tones. She had forgotten that she was supposed to help Molly cook dinner for Percy's birthday. Dammit. The twins eyed her warily as she approached the counter.  
"I forgot that I was suppoosed to help your mum cook dinner for Percy's dinner so I'll meet you at the Burrow." They gave her silent nods and she apparated away without another word.

Walking away from the apparition point, she tried to prepare herself for a big dinner party. The apology was on her lips as she walked through the door, but was deemed unnecessary immediately. Penelope was in the kitchen and Molly was giving her lessons. The look on Hermione's face must have been amusing because Penelope told her, "It's just as well you got caught up at the shop. I need to learn how to cook if I'm going to be a married woman, so I decided to see if Molly would give me a few lessons." Hermione gave her a friendly smile, but didn't really feel it.  
"Is there anything else I can do, Molly?" she asked. "Oh, no dear, we have it under control. I know you've been working, go rest." Hermione grabbed one of her favorite muggle romances and went into the living room to read for a bit. Everyone began to arrive but she had become lost in her own world. Before she realized it, she was being called to dinner. She hadn't even seen anyone else.

She sat at her place at the table, tonight squeezed between Fred and Andromeda, who was balancing Teddy on her knee. Fred gave her a smile, but didn't say anything. Teddy gave her a huge smile and held his arms out for her. Everyone was jealous that he wanted her, of course. She took him from Andromeda, sitting him in her lap, and fed him mashed potatoes with her spoon. He ate them vigorously, splashing everyone around them with them. He got the first real laugh out of her all day. After he had ate his fill, his eyes became droopy and she rocked him to sleep. Her mood seemed instantly lifted. She couldn't be mad with this sweet baby in her arms.

Percy cleared his throat. "Well, mother, I know you want everyone to have a big wedding but Penny and I have decided to just have a ceremony at the Ministry for our wedding. As you know, she's muggleborn so her parents will be the only ones allowed to attend. We have decided to have a reception at a restaurant afterwards that everyone can attend. And no, we don't want you to pay for any of it." Molly nodded her head. "Well, yes, that does make sense. Nobody else in her family could attend, and with the whole secrecy law it would be difficult to have it here."

George stood up. "Well, while we're talking weddings, Angie and I have discussed ours as well. Her parents want to have it at their house. She's the only girl so it's her mum's dream to help her plan a wedding." Molly looked crestfallen but nodded her head. "Of course, we'll pay -"  
"Mum, you're not paying for our wedding. I have plenty of money. Thank you though." Fleur and Angelina got up and began clearing the table. Molly and Ginny finished their plate and began to help. Hermione started to hand off Teddy to Andromeda but Fred shook his head at her. "Don't wake him up yet. He's so peaceful asleep on you. I'm sure they don't mind not having your help for one night." Ginny laughed. "Stay there, Hermione. George told me you brewed potions for four hours. You must be exhausted. Plus, Teddy looks awfully comfy cozied up in your chest. Don't move him til Andie's ready to leave or you want to give him to me." Hermione laughed and held onto him for a bit longer but eventually she handed him over to Ginny. "I'm shattered. I'm heading to bed." She drudged her way up the stairs, feeling like sleep would be a welcome reprieve. She had no sooner changed before Fred quietly opened the door and slipped in.  
"I didn't want to wake you if you were already asleep." He told her. She turned and looked at him, the feeling of regret hitting her again full force now that they were alone. Walking across the room, she met him halfway and linked her hands behind his back. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. She inhaled the lemony pine scent of him for a few moments before speaking.  
"I'm so sorry, Freddie, for what I said and how I acted. I wasn't mad at you. I really wasn't mad at anyone. I was in such a bad mood and I have no idea why but I took it out on you and I'm so sorry. Please say you'll forgive me, I was just -" "Sshhh." He started smoothing her hair. "I'm not mad at you. You've been through a lot and sometimes it just comes out. You apologized and that's what matters so there's nothing to forgive." She nodded into his chest, squeezing harder. Lifting her chin, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.  
"Come on, Mia, lets get you to bed. You've had a rough day. Good thing Teddy put you in a better mood for bed." She grasped his hand and pulled him towards the bed with her. "Only in you join me, Mr. Weasley." A grin spread across his face and he lunged at her, growling playfully. "Oh you'll be sorry you said that, love." Pulling him down for a deep kiss, she muttered, "I seriously doubt that."

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Not as long as the others but I wanted to show Hermione in a stressed out, bad mood. Not sure if I accomplished it the way I had planned but let me know how it came out. Thanks guys!

I'll be super nice and give you guys two chapters tonight since I'm on Chapter 24 right now...if I fall too far behind you might just have to wait more than a day in between chapters (:


	21. Chapter 21

A/N- Alrighty, back again. This is going to be a long chapter, I do believe. Sorry if that ain't your thing (: As always, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 21 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 24, 1998

"Bloody hell, this day was busy. Mia, did we turn a good profit?" Fred called across Weasley's Wizards Wheezes to his fiance. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she counted out the register. Laughter could be heard two or three rows down, most likely Seamus and Lee. Putting the original money back in the register, a smile broke out on her face. Damn, she was beautiful. "You tripled yesterday's profit. You two are amazing, I don't know how you do it. You just keep coming up with crazy new ideas and people eat 'em up. They love you." Her tinkling laughter filled the shop. Fred did a little dance, causing her to grab her belly and point at him.  
"Georgie, get in here! Good news!" George came walking up from the back room. He had been working in the back with Fred all day on product developement.  
"Tell him, Mia, tell him the good news." George walked over and flung his arm around her shoulders, looking down at her.  
She poked him in the ribs. "You two are bloody brilliant. Tripled yesterdays profits, which is quite impressive." George picked her up and swung her around in a circle. "Well, Freddie, looks like we're going to have a good time tonight at Harry's stag night after all." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down playfully. Hermione rolled her eyes, laughing. The twins traveled to Gringotts together to drop off the money, leaving Hermione to apparate to Burrow alone from inside the shop.

Molly had dinner ready when they arrived at the Burrow, the twins not far behind Hermione. Tonight was Harry's stag party and Ginny's hen night so everyone invited would be meeting up here after the evening meal. The meal looked delicious and nobody wasted any time digging into the tasty food. Molly and Arthur had decided to stay home for the evening, to spend some time together, not something they got a lot of. Bill and Fleur had agreed to chaperone both parties and make sure that everyone got home alright.

After eating dinner and then cleaning up, Hermione went upstairs to get cleaned up. Ginny had decided she wanted to go to a muggle club, drink, and go dancing. She showered and performed the usual charms on her hair, leaving it wavy. After applying her makeup and perfume, she left the loo in just a towel to find an outfit laid on her bed, no doubt left by Ginny. She put on the sapphire blue strapless bra and panty set, followed by the black leather mini skirt and red sequined spaghetti strap tank top. She looked at herself in the mirror after slipping on the heels Ginny had left out. She was going to kill her. She had never felt so exposed in her life. When Fred walked into the room, she had her hands cupped over her mouth. She turned to face him with a look of horror on her face.  
"Gods, Fred, she can't expect me to go out in public like this." He crossed the room in two strides and pinned his mouth to hers, pulling her hips to hers. She melted into his form, wrapping her hands into his hair, her outfit (or lack thereof) forgotten.

When he pulled away, he wrapped his hands almost completely around her waist, and then brushed her hair back off her shoulder. "You look fabulous. Of course you should go out like that...just stay away from all the blokes since I won't be there to protect you and you can't use magic." He chuckled as he wiped off her smudged lip balm. "That reminds me..." She began rummaging around on the bed for her wand as he began changing for his night out. After finding her wand in a pile of discarded clothes, she disillusioned her scar since she was going to muggle London. In the time it took her to search, Fred had changed into his outfit for the night, a snug fitting pair of jeans and his old quidditch jersey. She had to admit to herself, it showed every muscle to his advantage. She reached around his slim hips, hooking her hands around his belt loops.  
"So has Harry decided where he wants to go tonight?"  
"Just the Leaky Cauldron for drinks...nothing too crazy he says. I won't let him do anything stupid. Bill will be there too to make we all get home without getting splinched or anything." Hermione laughed. "I'm more worried about Ron to be honest. Harry doesn't usually get too crazy." Fred kissed the top of her head.  
"Oh, don't worry about Ron. He's always respected Bill, he won't start anything. You just keep my crazy sister out of trouble. You know how her temper can get her in trouble and I'm not sure if Fleur can keep her in line." Hermione nodded.  
"You're probably right. But I think she'll be fine. We won't meet up with anyone we know." They linked hands and headed down the stairs, meeting Ron on the way. His eyes traveled the expanse of Hermione's skin. She held her head high, waiting for his eyes to once again reach her face. When they did, he whistled. "Bloody hell, Hermione, you look good. Keep an eye on my sister for me tonight." With that, he was gone. She gave an obvious shiver, looked at Fred and continued down the stairs.

By the time they had made it downstairs, the whole of the boys party had arrived. They were all preparing to apparate directly to the Leaky Cauldron. Fred leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear, "Please take care of yourself, Mia. I love you. Have fun tonight. Get good and drunk and come home to me." She gave a quiet laugh and kissed him, trailing her hand across his cheek as he walked off. After all the men had left, Hermione turned on Ginny.  
"How could you make me wear this, Ginny? I have more skin showing now than when I shower!" Ginny, Fleur, Luna and Angelina started laughing. "Hermione, you're hotter than the twin's fireworks, trust me. Quit whining and live it up!" Shaking her head, she let out a little laugh. "Is anyone else coming?" Ginny thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think so. Lavender didn't seem too keen on coming, Christine had plans with her parents, Penny said she had to work. You know who would have been a blast?" Hermione shook her head. Ginny teared up. "Tonks. She would have been right here with us, partying it up and telling us how to do it right." Hermione lifted her chin again, walked to the cabinet with Ogdens firewhiskey in it, and pulled out six cups. She poured six shots into the cups and handed a glass to Luna, Fleur, Angelina, Molly, Ginny, and kept one for herself. "We're starting out the night taking a drink for Tonks since she couldn't be here to celebrate with us herself. We all know she'd be showing us the right way to do it if she was here so this one is for her." Hermione lifted her glass. Everyone followed suit, even Molly, and they all chased their drink, relishing the burn. A few tears leaked down their cheeks before they were all wiped away. Molly took their glasses and shooed them away. "Enough with the heavy, girls, get out of here and have some fun!"

Making it to the apparition point, the girls let Hermione take the lead. She took them to a popular dance club in muggle London, where they served drinks all night long and played loud music. Hermione went to the bar and ordered them all orange juice and vodka, since they didn't have firewhiskey. They were all pleasantly surprised that they liked muggle liquor. Ginny insisted on doing shots, making Hermione go to the bar with her to get the bartenders advice on which one's to get.

After settling on a simple 'slippery nipple' shot, the four of them tipped their glasses, Fleur abstaining. The liquor was sickly sweet, especially compared to firewhiskey. The orange juice tasted tart after three of these shots. The bartender then talked Ginny into a 'blowjob' shot, telling her they had to be taken without hands. They all laughed when Ginny spilled half hers on the floor. Hermione and Luna grabbed her hand, dragging her onto the dance floor. They were playing an array of songs from the fifties to the ninties. Hermione was impressed with their selection. The three of them began dancing to the familiar tune from Hermione's childhood, a Joan Jett tune. Hermione's mother had never been conventional. She could feel the alcohol affecting her head a little now.

Her hips were loosening up and were working in circles against Ginny's. She was working her shoulders backward and forward in time with Ginny's and they marched across the floor.  
'I love rock 'n roll, put another dime in the jukebox baby'  
Ginny didn't know the words but she knew the beat and knew how to work her body to it. People were clearing the floor for the two of them and Luna. Hermione didn't know what was driving her but she spun around to Luna and threw herself in half at the waist, not thinking about her skirt being short, flipping her hair over shoulder, and then shimmying her way up to her feet again as the song ended. She thought she saw Fleur put something in her purse as they walked up but she thought nothing else of it as Ginny ordered them another round of drinks. Finding them a table, a thought crossed her mind that distressed her since Harry was her brother for all intents and purposes. With the way Ginny moved, they must have an amazing sex life. Harry must be very pleased. She could feel herself blush so she excused herself to the loo. Ginny being Ginny volunteered to go with her.  
"Now tell me why you turned bright red, 'Mione" Ginny said as soon as they were away from the group. Hermoine burst out laughing.  
"You know me too well, Gin. It was a disgusting thought, since Harry is pretty much my brother in every way. I had this passing thought that for as well as you move your sex life must be amazing, but then I realized it was Harry and it became disturbing." Ginny starting laughing heartily. "That's great, because I thought the exact same thing except Fred truly is my brother!" Gasping for air, Ginny spoke again. "How about when we want to talk about sex, we'll just say a different name rather than Fred or Harry. It won't be quite as awkward." Hermione looked at her with a grin. "Deal. Let's go get another drink."

Angelina and Fleur kept each other company, while Luna, Ginny, and Hermione drank and danced well into the night. When they finally decided to head home, it was almost two in the morning. Hermione's back was aching but it was muted because of the alcohol. Fleur and Angelina helped them apparate back to the Burrow, where Luna would also be staying on the couch til morning. Harry was asleep in Luna's spot however, waiting up for Ginny no doubt. Falling on him, he woke with a "ooomph" and then jumped to help Luna sit and Ginny to stand. Hermione stood giggling at the sight in front of her. Harry shot her a dirty look, which she stuck her tongue out to. She thought to take her heels off before going up the stairs but Ginny didn't. From the sounds of it, Harry didn't either.

Hermione opened her door and set her shoes on the floor, quickly removing her skirt and tank top. By the change of Fred's breathing, he had woken up. She glanced over at him and saw him staring at her. "You awake, Mr. Weasley?" She asked quietly. She heard him chuckle. "How could I not be? Did you hear my sister come up the stairs in those heels? Bloody hell, I think she woke the whole house. Those panties are bloody amazing on you, by the way." He held out his hand to her. She stopped undressing and took his offered hand, straddling his hips. He was only wearing his boxers and she could feel him get hard underneath her. She started running her flat hands over his bare chest, savoring the feel of his hard muscles. "Gods, Freddie, you feel so good. You know you drive me crazy, right?" She leaned down to kiss him before he could answer. After taking his mouth by force, she began to grind on him in much the same way she had been grinding on Ginny on the dance floor. He was moaning into her mouth. Reaching behind her, he unsnapped her bra and threw it distractedly on the floor. His hands traveled down to her hips and they were perched inside her panties, cupping her bottom, his mouth suckling her breast. She was moaning his name and her fingers were tangled in his hair. Then the door opened.

Ron had walked in but neither one of them had noticed until a few seconds too late. Ron simply stared. Then he was yelling. Fred reached his wand at the same time that Hermione reached for the blanket to cover herself. Fred quickly cast silencing charms and threw Hermione his quidditch jersey he had discarded when he had gotten home. She put it on under the blanket.  
She had just started to pay attention to what Ron was screaming at them. "-understand you, Hermione, I came in here to apologize. I heard Ginny get home so knew you were still awake. I was going to say sorry for staring so hard earlier this evening but you were so damn beautiful. Then I come in here and find you with my brother." Hermione stood up. Fred gripped his wand harder and inched closer to Hermione but said nothing. "Ron, I don't understand what you'r problem is. You're shagging Lavender. I'm marrying Fred in January, you know that. We're allowed to shag. There's no difference." She told him, not backing down. Ron clenched his hands. "There is a difference, Hermione. Lavender doesn't tease the piss out of me. When she turns me on, she gets me off. You tease me, and then fuck my shit of a brother. You know what I think? You are a blood traitors whore. You deserved to have that cut into your tits. Fred marked you as one of his whores so why not be branded for life? It's too bad that shit faded. At least I didn't play the field like he did. You would have had a boyfriend with a decent reputation if you had kept me."

Fred lunged at Ron, cocking back his arm and letting his fist fly. Hermione started crying at the same time and jumped in the middle, trying to keep Fred from killing him. She lost her footing, getting caught her blue bra that Fred had liked so much. One of the blows, she wasn't sure if it was from Fred or Ron, caught her in the cheekbone. Shattering pain exploded in her face. The alcohol suddenly wasn't enough to dull anything. Neither man noticed that she had taken a blow. She got to her feet and went through the loo to George's room. Crashing through the door, she tripped over his trainers and smashed her head into the wooden frame of his bed. George came flying awake with his wand in his hand. He saw her holding her head and he bent to help her. She simply shook her head and pointed into her room, not trusting herself to speak. He obeyed, but by the sounds coming from the room the fight hadn't ebbed. Hermione opened George's door, steeled her will, and beat on the door across the hall.

Molly answered in her robe, Arthur right behind her. Charlie opened his door right next to theirs. Hermione let out a sob. "You have to go split them up, now before they kill each other!" Arthur and Charlie rushed past and went into the room that already was occupied by the three Weasley men. Molly drew her into her embrace. Ginny and Harry came down the stairs, Ginny stumbling a bit. Harry went around through George's room to help and Ginny stayed with Hermione, who was clutching her face and crying. Eventually a trickle of blood started to seep down her cheek to the corner of her mouth but nobody seemed to notice.

After what seemed an eternity, Harry and Arthur came out of the room on either side of Ron, who was still sputtering insults at Fred through his split lip. A few minutes later, Fred emerged under his own steam but Charlie and George were still at his sides. He had taken some hits from Ron but been the obvious winner of the fight. His nose was bleeding down his chest and he had a cut on his cheek. He searched the hallway for Hermione and found her enveloped in his mother and sister's arms. She had her face buried in Molly's neck. He realized that she was half naked, standing there in front of all the men in his family in just her skimpy lace panties and his quidditch jersey. Jealousy flashed through his veins.

Arthur spoke up. "It's three in the morning, we just broke up a knock down drag out, Hermione's hurt. I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now." Fred's eyes flashed to Hermione, who was still buried in his mother's neck. Ginny had her arms wrapped around her. He decided to speak. He knew Hermione wouldn't. He crossed his arms and shot Ron a dirty look. "Hermione, Ginny, and Luna got home around two. Ginny wasn't the quietest coming up the stairs and woke me. Hermione came in and started undressing and realized I was awake. We started...getting personal...and Ron came in. Hermione didn't have a shirt on so she was getting my jersy on while I put a silencing charm up so he didn't wake the whole house. He went on about how she teases him and then shags me. My reputation has made her a blood traitor whore like that psycho cut into her and he wishes that it wouldn't have faded because she deserves it for teasing him like she does. That's when I went crazy on him. I'm not sure how she got hurt, when she got hurt or even how everyone got in here." Charlie reached out and touched Hermione's shoulder. To give her credit, she didn't start. She lifted her head and he saw the blood on her face. And the blooming bruise on her cheekbone. She wiped her nose on the back of her wrist. "As soon as Fred jumped on Ron and they started fighting, I started crying and trying to break them up. I knew one of them was going to kill the other and I didn't want to be the cause of that. I suppose I got too close, I'm not even sure who hit me. It knocked me to the floor. They didn't even notice, so I knew I needed help. I went through the bathroom to George. When I opened the door, I tripped on his trainers, I think, and hit my head on his bed frame. I sat there a minute and could still hear them fighting so I came and woke you two up." Arthur and Molly both nodded. Arthur looked at Ron, who had remained silent through the story. "Is this all true, Ron?" Ron nodded sullenly. Arthur looked disappointed.  
"Well, son, I am going to ask you to leave until you are able to apologize to Hermione for what you have said. We have raised you better than this and I won't lower my standards now." Hermione began to cry again and Ginny pulled her into her neck this time. Ron spluttered in rage as he stalked off.  
"My own damn family choosing that whore over me, what the fuck-" Arthur waved his wand, casting a silencing charm, but Ron kept walking. They heard a pop of apparition over Hermione's faint cries. All the Weasley men but Fred headed back into their rooms, sparing Hermione the embarrassment of seeing her any longer without any clothes. Molly, Harry, and Ginny stayed awake, herding Hermione downstairs insisting that they needed to inspect her face and head wounds. She nodded numbly. Molly went ahead, to go ready potions that would be needed, while Harry and Ginny said they would stay for moral support. Fred eyed Harry and then smiled. "Potter, it's a good thing you're her brother or I'd think you were staying just to get an eyeful." Hermione and Ginny cracked a smile but Harry turned red.  
"Hermione, I didn't think about that. On that note, I'm going to go upstairs. Ginny will update me and I'll see you in the morning. I love you, alright? If you need me, send a patronus." He bent and kissed her hand, turned and went to bed. Fred laughed. "I wasn't being serious, bloody hell. I was just taking the mickey out of him." Ginny just laughed. "He just got embarrassed. Don't worry about it."

Fred leaned over and picked Hermione up bridal style as gently as he could. She smiled at him, even though it hurt her face. "My legs aren't broken you know." Fred smiled down at her battered face. "Ssshhh. Let me take care of you." He carried her down the stairs, through the living room, where Luna had slept through everything, and into the kitchen where he sat her on the table. His mum had her healing book out, looking up spells. She waved her wand over Hermione. A popping sensation was felt in her injured cheek. A grimace must have washed over her face because Ginny and Fred each took one of her hands. Another spell for swelling, one for a bruise, one for the cut. After a few minutes Molly spoke.  
"I think that will do you. You should definetly take some pain potion though. You have a concussion from hitting the bed frame, tripping on his damn trainers. Your cheekbone was fractured but not badly. I healed it, took away the swelling, got rid of the bruise and the cut, so you look fine, but your head might be sore for a day or two. Next time, dear, don't get in the middle of the two idiots to break them up. Your face can't take a beating like theirs can." She smiled softly at Hermione. Hermione smiled and nodded. Molly shuffled them all upstairs. "Back to bed with you all, and nobody up before ten!"

Guilt lay heavily on Fred's heart as he followed Hermione back into her room. She flipped the light on and headed for the loo, obviously after pain potion. He gripped her hand and shook his head. "No, love, get in bed. I'll get it." She rolled her eyes but complied. He poured her out a large dose and carried it to her but not handing it her yet. He had something to say first.  
"Mia, I am so sorry. I don't know if I'm the one that hit you, but it doesn't matter. I let my anger get away from me and I didn't even notice that you had been hurt. You were on the ground for gods sake. You were counting on me to see reason enough to protect you and I didn't and I'll never forgive myself for that. I just hope that you can someday trust me to take care you again." He gave her the vial of potion. She took it but looked at it for a long moment. Her eyes were clouded. "We aren't perfect, Freddie. I don't expect you to be. I can't say I'll jump in a fight tomorrow trusting you, but I will trust you again. Trust that. And of course I forgive you, don't be stupid, it was my own fault. I should have used my wand." He laughed out loud. She tipped the vial back and laid down, waiting for the potion to kick in. He wrapped himself around her, stroking the hair off her forehead. He hoped that someday soon he would win back that perfect trust he had just lost.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Kind of a kicker there...kinda stupid to throw yourself in the middle of a fight, but being the fearless Gryffindor, you blindly trust the person you love to be there to save you. Sorry again for the super long chapter! Let me know what y'all think (:


	22. Chapter 22

A/N- After all that drama in the last chapter, this one will laid back, shorter, and maybe a cute moment or two. Hope ya enjoy (:

Sidenote: I'm almost always busy on the weekends, even though I'm on crutches for the next who knows how many months so after tonight, there probably won't be anymore chapters posted until Sunday or Monday at the latest. Not the best chapter to leave you guys hanging with but...sorry!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 22 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````August 26, 1998

All the Weasley siblings were supposed to leave work at noon today to help get the property ready for the wedding the next day, but as of two in the afternoon, none of them had showed up. Hermione knew why too. Ginny had gone just a little bit crazy. Even Luna was keeping her distance. Molly was staying in the kitchen, getting the food ready for the reception the next day.

Harry, Neville, and Arthur had final robe fittings for some reason today, which they had just arrived home from. Ginny was now screeching at them about the tent needing put up, the grass needing trimmed one last time, the lights needing put up in the trees, tables set up, and the list went on. Ginny had tried floo messaging the twins at work, but had only gotten Dean, who had seemed genuinely scared of Ginny's head in the fire when she yelled at him they had better show up in the next thirty minutes. After owling Percy and Charlie at work, she told Fleur she had better floo message Bill and tell him to get his arse home or he wouldn't have one when he finally did show. Fleur looked startled but did as the redhead ordered.

After Harry and Arthur had the tables set up, Hermione was ordered to set up the tableclothes, silverware, and centerpieces, then charm them to stay put and dry if it happened to rain. Luna was in charge of setting out the chairs, which she accomplished quickly by charming them to follow her as she walked around the tables following Hermione. Angelina and Christine had been set to decorate the aisles for the wedding pews, which they were doing under Ginny's direct scrutiny. Angelina looked to be biting her tongue most of the time, probably due to Ginny's caustic remarks about her decorating skills, but in the end, it looked lovely. Ginny herself arranged the floral bouquets, saying that she wanted them just right. The place was really coming together quite lovely. Molly and Fleur came out to help put up the tent, as it took the help of everyone levitating it to get it right.

After five hours of hard work, the family called the planning quits. There really wasn't anything left to do that they could do until the next day. Tensions were still running high. Molly was tired of cooking. "Fleur, pick a food we made today and we'll eat it for supper and we'll just remake it in the morning." Fleur laughed. "That's a fabulous idea. No cooking tonight." They sat down to eat, all snapping and tired. As supper was winding down, a smile spread across Fleur's face.

"'oo wants to see something quite 'umerous? Lighten the mood? I 'ave this muggle contraption called a video camera that records people actions. I took it with us to the dance club the other night. I 'ave a video of Ginny, 'ermione, and Luna all dancing to an old muggle song. They were very drunk." Hermione's hands go to her mouth and Harry is laughing. They are the only other two who know what this is. Everyone's eyes start to sparkle at their reaction though. Hermione begins to protest. "Fleur, you can't show that. We were very drunk. We didn't even have any idea you were taping us." Her laugh tinkled throughout the room. "Oh, 'ermione, that's why it's so great. You three completely let loose." Hermione buried her face in her hands.

Fleur set the video on replay and started it, sending it around the table beginning with Bill and Arthur. Both their eyebrows disappeared into their hair. Arthur looked on disapprovingly. "It's a very good thing you three had someone there that was sober to make sure you stayed out of trouble. What if you had been attacked? Not all young men have good morals." Bill shook his head. "I'm not even worried about that. If you three can move like that, I feel bad for anyone that attacks you. How sick were you the next morning?" Hermoine just shook her head. Molly and Percy took it next, after Angelina shook her head. "I saw it in person, I was there. It was crazy. I just kept Fleur company, I wasn't doing that stuff." To Hermione's surprise, Molly hid a small smile behind her hand but Percy looked scandalized. "Goodness, Ginny, Hermione. Could you wear any less clothes? You'll get a bad reputation." Realization of what he had just said sank in because he began to backpedal. "Not that you will, you just have to be careful..." Ginny looked him in the eye. "Gods, Percy, could open your mouth anymore. You could almost be more of a prat." He turned red and passed the video camera on to Harry and Charlie. Christine leaned in over Charlie's shoulder and Ginny over Harry's. Both men started laughing loudly. Harry looked at Ginny. "How were you not embarrassed to be in the middle of that? I would have been dying!" Ginny shrugged. Charlie looked way too interested and Christine looked away. When it was over, Charlie exclaimed, "Good tunes, and good moves girls. I see what muggle alcohol does to you." Hermione could feel her face burning by now. The camera was passed to Fred, George, and Neville. George is who she was dreading. As she could hear Joan Jett in the background and watched herself grind all over Ginny, shimmy up Luna, and throw her hair all over at the end, she felt Fred squeeze her hand. When it stopped, Neville was the first to speak. "Luna, you didn't tell me you could dance like that." Everyone laughed. George looked back and forth from Hermione and Luna. "Bloody hell, is all I got. You three definetly need a chaperone. I can't say anything about my sister because...ewww...but Harry if you're smart, mate, you'll agree." Not the response I had expected at all. I jerked the tape out of the video camera and lit it on fire.  
"Now that you've all had a laugh at our expense, I've destroyed the evidence. I'll buy you another tape, Fleur." Everyone kept laughing. Luna surprised everyone.  
"We're definetly going to have to start buying some muggle alcohol. Just firewhiskey gets old sometimes."

Everyone decided to go to bed early since there was still plenty to do in the morning. Heading to my room, Fred followed close behind. After a long shower, I lay in the bed with him. He had a devilish grin on his face. I looked at him quizzically. "What's so funny?"  
"I still can't believe that was you dancing on that video. That was so bloody hot. Where'd you learn to do that?" She could feel herself turning red.  
"Well, I never learned how. You just kind of get drunk and let loose. Move you hips. Rubbing on someone feels good. I didn't want to rub on other guys, obviously, and they're my friends. They were the next best choice. You're not mad are you?" He laughed loudly.  
"No, I'm not mad. I'm glad you had a good time. I'm just really glad that you had someone that was sober there because as hot as you are three were, dancing like that, you are really lucky you didn't get jumped. Will you promise at least to always have someone sober with you when you get crazy like that?" She looked at him for a moment and then nodded. "That sounds reasonable." He pulled her in for a kiss. "I have an idea, love. You could show me some of those moves right now. Personally. You don't have to practice them on my sister." Her face broke out in a smile and broke the news to him. "But you don't have any Joan Jett." Fred lifted her by her hips onto his lap. Pulling her into a kiss, he flicked his wand at an old tape player in the corner. "Are you sure bout that, love?" She let out another laugh and pushed him backwards on the bed, determined to practice her dance moves.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` There you are, short, sweet, and cute. Remember to tell me what ya think (: The next chapter is Harry and Ginny's wedding! Yay! Stay tuned ((:


	23. Chapter 23

A/N- Really hope you guys are enjoying the story! Today is wedding day ((: Haven't decided if it will be one chapter or two yet since I consider Harry and Ginny pretty major characters in this story, it will be pretty in depth. Guess we'll just hafta ride it out together and see!

Side note: I want to thank everyone that has reviewed me, especially those that have taken time to review me more than once. A special thanks, though, to thatperfectsomeone for sending NUMEROUS reviews my way. I know that it does take time and I appreciate more than I can say (:

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 23 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` August 27, 1998 Harry/Ginny's Wedding Day

She was already exhausted. Hermione had been up since six in the morning getting ready for Ginny's wedding. The cooking had to be finished and heating and cooling applied to keep it ready for the reception. Fleur had offered to come over to finish up the cooking but Hermione had told her she would do it since Fleur was already doing everyone's hair and makeup. The Weasley men were finishing up the last touches outside before showering off and changing into their dress robes for the ceremony at two that afternoon.

Ginny and the girls had taken over her room so Fred and George had to use Percy and Charlie's shower. The men had been kicked out of the locked room long ago. Fleur had fixed her own hair in an elegant twist while Hermione had been showering. Her makeup was flawless as usual. She began work on Ginny next, as she needed to be perfect for the ceremony. Ginny was determined she wanted her hair in intricate braids meeting in a chignon at the crown of her head. By the time Hermione emerged from checking on the men of the ceremony, her cheeks were rosy, lips plump, and eyes, bright. Hermione told Fleur to do Molly's makeup and hair next. The older witch wanted her hair fixed in an older style, which Fleur accomplished beautifully. She applied her makeup lighter, as requested, and Molly looked radiant when finished. Luna had opted to do her own hair and makeup so Hermione was up next, and was last. Fleur put simple waves in it, pinning up half of it in an ice blue butterfly pin but leaving the rest flowing free. Her makeup matched Ginny's and her own. Luna had fixed her hair in a loose french braid down the side of her head, which actually looked quite good, and her makeup was just a shade less flattering that everyone else's. It was time for dresses.

All the women helped each other into their dresses, Ginny into her white one, Molly into off-white, and Hermione, Fleur and Luna into their ice blue ones. Slipping into their shoes, and their white rose bouquet, Hermione had to admit they were a beautiful sight. Ginny most of all. She was a vision. Hermione bet that Harry cried when he saw her. There was only thing marring her beauty.  
"Ginny, do you want me to cast a spell on my scar? I don't want it to ruin your wedding pictures. It's so ugly." Hermione asked her. Ginny's mouth dropped open. "Hermione, how can you even ask me that? Of course I don't. That scar is part of who you are, its the girl that saved the world with her best friend, who happens to be my husband, the woman who was tortured and cut up beside me, the woman whos going to stand by me at my wedding. If you're ok with having it show, don't worry about me. I love you with the scar, I don't give a damn about my pictures." Hermione's eyes teared up and she threw her arms around Ginny. "Thank you, Ginny, for always being there for me, for asking me to stand with you, and for accepting me." Fleur and Molly wrapped their arms around the hugging girls. Fleur piped up. "I love you both, but if either one of you cries, and ruins my masterpiece, I'll 'ex you both!" They all seperate and laugh. This is interrupted by a knock at the door. It's Arthur. "Ginny's it's almost time. The boys are already down. I'm ready when you are. Molly, you should be heading down." Molly walks to the door and unlocks it, allowing him entrance. He whistles. "You all look...gorgeous." Ginny beams at him. Always a daddys girl. Molly gives Ginny one last hug and kiss and walks down the stairs and out to her seat. The three of the girls sigh, smile, and head down the stairs to start the show.

After seeing that they're ready to go, Arthur signals the musician. The music begins and Bill and Fleur start down aisle. There are camera clicking and Hermione is instantly reminded of Colin Creevey. After a count of ten, Luna and Neville start down the aisle with bright smiles on their faces. Ron and Hermione come face to face for the first time since the awful scene in her room. He gives her a grim smile. She returns it for Ginny's sake. After a ten count, she takes Ron's elbow with her fingertips and they accend down the aisle, Hermione with a bright smile on her face as well. The bouquet of white roses gleam in the shining sun. She catches Fred's eye as she glides past. They seperate at the end of aisle. Hermione can see the silent 'thank you' in Harry's eyes as she stands by Luna. Everyone turns to watch as Ginny approaches on Arthur's arm. Hermione sneaks a glance at Harry. His eyes look wet, but she can't be sure. When she reaches the end of the aisle, Arthur gives her hand to Harry, whispers something in her ear, kisses her on the cheek, and takes his seat next to Molly. Both Molly and Arthur are crying now.

As Harry and Ginny repeated their vows, Harry leaned down and kissed her ring. Hermione heard a few sniffles in the crowd. The vows were generic but the way they said them, they were anything but. The kiss they shared had people clearing their throats it was so passionate. When they finally broke apart, the official presented them as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter and the cameras were clicking again. They walked down the aisle together time, as a married couple. Ron and Hermione followed together again, followed once again by Luna and Neville, then Bill and Fleur.

The wedding party headed to the orchard where the pictures would be taken while the rest of the party went to the reception. The whole family picture was going to turn out amazing. The pictures took over an hour and by the time they were over, Hermione was ready to eat. Once released, Fred found her waist. "You look amazing, Mia. That dress looks beautiful on you." She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Freddie, I feel amazing in it, I real-" she was cut off as Ron stepped in front of them.  
"Listen, I don't want any trouble. I want to apologize for the other night. Hermione, I really didn't mean what I said, I really didn't. I know you're not a whore. I do feel like you tease me, but I know you don't sleep around. Just with Fred. You never deserved what LeStrange did to you, not even close and no matter how hurt I was I never should have said it. I deserved what Fred did. And if I'm the one that hit your face, I'm sorry about that too. I never planned on hitting a girl in my life and I don't like the fact that I might have hit one now, least of all the girl that I love. I'm not just apologizing because Dad said I had to. I really am sorry." Hermione looked at him for a moment before nodding.  
"Thank you, Ronald, that really means a lot to me. I know you think you love me, but it will get better when you marry Lavender, I promise. Because of the bond, your feelings for me will vanish, you won't want me anymore and you'll forget about wanting me...physically. It'll make things easier." Ron looked relieved. "You don't know how much I want that and dread it at the same time. I hate hurting like this but I don't want to forget that I've loved you for years either. But maybe it's for the best." Hermione gave him a small smile. "You'll just love me in the right way then, Ron." Ron turned to Fred. "I'm sorry to you too, Fred. I know she's yours, I just can't help myself. You're not a shit brother and what happened to her wasn't your fault. I'm just mad I can't control myself." Fred said nothing but nodded. Ron turned around and walked away, joining Lavender who was talking to Angelina across the orchard.

Hermione looked at Fred. "That actually seemed genuine. I'm still not sure how I lead him on, but at least he made an attempt. Maybe it won't be so awkward now." Fred nodded. "Well, he means it now, til he gets randy again. Then what? He goes crazy and calls you names again? Tries to get lucky and crams his hand up your shirt or his tongue down your throat?" Hermione sucked in a breath. Fred ran his calloused hands across the back of her shoulders, massaging them lightly. "Sorry, Mia. Forget I said anything. Nothing is going to ruin this night." He bent forward and kissed where her neck and shoulders met. Pulling her toward the reception, they passed many guests she recognized and some she didn't. One guest stood out in particular. Auntie Muriel. The stooped witch had pulled Fred over to kiss him on the cheek.  
"Who's this girl, Frederick?" Fred smiled at the old woman.  
"You met her before, Auntie, at Bill's wedding. She was Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. She's my fiance now. You remember her?" The old witch smacked his arm.  
"Of course I remember her, I'm old, not senile. I remember telling her she had skinny ankles. I'm assuming she's filled out some by the happy look on your face?" Glancing down, Muriel couldn't see her ankles since the dress went to the ground. Fred laughed lightly. "She filled out just fine, Auntie. I love her, though, that's why I'm happy." Auntie Muriel smiled at him, smacking him playfully on the cheek. "I'm happy for you, Frederick. Maybe you'll settle down now and quit being a little shit." Hermione started laughing at the look on his face. "Don't count on it, Auntie!" he yelled at her as she hobbled away. Fred led her to the table that they had been assigned to, next to the bride and groom's table. "I'm putting twice the amount of dungbombs under that old bats chair at Christmas this year for that comment" Fred told her, pulling out her chair for her.  
"You will not, Fred. She's old, give her some peace." She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "And just because I don't want you to do it, doesn't mean you can't have George do it." He grinned at her when he saw the sparkle in her eyes.

As people drifted to their tables, people started to serve the reception dinner. The food, as always, was delicious. All the family and guests ate heartily and sipped on their wine. After everyone seemed satiated, Arthur rose from his seat holding his wand and walked to the open area in front of Harry and Ginny. Fred leaned over and whispered to Hermione. "Speech time." Arthur cleared his throat. "First of all, I want to thank you all for coming to share this joyous day with us all. Joyous is exactly how I would describe it. My baby girl got to marry the man she has loved since she first saw him on Platform 9 3/4 when she was ten years old." Ginny's face turned pink but she held her head high. "I didn't officially meet Harry Potter until he was twelve years old, after Ron, Fred, and George stole my car to rescue him from his home, but it seems he's been a part of my family since the day he showed up at my house. I'm not sure when it officially happened, but it did. We've worried over him, we've scolded him, and we've loved him. We always will. Now, it's officially you're job, Harry, to take care of my daughter. My one and only. Know that if you fail, I will curse you to oblivion." Harry grinned and nodded. "Welcome, officially, to family. I love you both, so much." Ginny had tears in her eyes. Bill stood up.

"I know that the best man usually goes first but as the oldest Weasley brother, I want to go first. I welcome you with open arms, Harry. Ginny loves you so I can't be anything but happy for the two of you. You've done so much for this family and the wizarding world, you deserve more than anyone to be happy. But be warned. You ever hurt my baby sister, you will no longer be The-Boy-Who-Lived. You will be The-Man-Locked-In-A-Gringotts-Vault. That's a promise." Harry nodded and Ginny shot Bill a dirty look. He sent a grin her way. Fleur stroked his scarred face lovingly as he took his seat.

Fred and George took their place in the spotlight next. "We always liked Harry, thought he was a decent bloke. We got to steal the car to save him, he saved Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, he is amazing at quidditch, oh, we gave his cousin some charmed candy," Hermione put her head in her hands and smiled. George continued. "He gave us the start up money for our business, so he's already family and a business partner to us. How could we not be ok with him marrying our sister?" Fred took over. "Besides, we've all been on the receiving end of Ginny's bat bogey hexes...if he pisses her off, he better take cover! Growing up with six brothers, she can take care of herself. Welcome to the family, mate." Ginny stood up, showing them her brightest smile. "Thank you, finally some brothers who recognize my skill!" She took a bow to the laughter and applause of the guests.

Hermione and Ron rose, going to the speech area together. They each carried a glass of wine. They held a silent conversation with their eyes, deciding who would speak first. Hermione stepped forward, almost falling. Ron reached out, lightning fast, and caught her around her waist, steadying her. She stiffened, but didn't say anything or jerk away. He let go immediately. She sent him a grateful smile. The crowd tittered at her clumsiness. She focused her gaze on Harry and Ginny, and sent them a bright smile.  
"Since I'm not a Weasley yet, I won't follow their tradition and threaten you." The crowd laughed. "I want to tell you both how happy I am for you. You have a love that everyone wants, that everyone wishes they had. You found it early, which only makes it more precious because you get to enjoy it longer. The love you have is pure and selfless, which you have both suffered for, which means you both deserve it. In fact, I couldn't think of two people who deserve it more. Harry, I've seen you suffer through everything and Ginny is everything you deserve. Cherish her. Ginny, I didn't see you suffer while we were gone, but I saw you suffer all the years at school, and he's finally yours. Hold him close, and never let him go. Life is short. You never know what day is your last. Always tell each other you love each other, always stay my best friends, and have lots of adorable babies for me to spoil." The crowd was now sniffling. Both Harry and Ginny got up and enveloped her in a hug. When they let go of her, she turned and was surprised when Ron hugged her suddenly.  
"Thanks for always being my friend, Hermione. No matter how much of an arse I was to you growing up." He whispered in her ear. She tentatively hugged him back and then stepped away.

Ron stepped forward, with a smile on his face. The crowd looked on expectantly. "Well, there is no way I can compare with that speech. But who can compare with Hermione Granger? Umm, what can I say? Harry, you've been my best mate since I sat with you on the train to Hogwarts our first year. We've been through hell and back together, and I admit I haven't always been the best friend in the world, but I've always had your back in the end. In the beginning I never pictured you with my sister but after I saw the looks you would give her during quidditch practice, I kind of knew it was a done deal. I always thought you would end up hurting her because of the war, which I was right because you ditched her, but I know you did it to protect her. If you can cause yourself that much pain to keep her safe, then you deserve her. That's not something I would say about many blokes. Ginny, you're my sister, and I love you so I want you to be happy. If that's Harry, then good luck. He's a trouble magnet, I should know. Just always keep Hermione around, she saved our arses clear back in first year with the devils snare. We'd be dead a thousand times over if it weren't for her." The crowd laughed. "I wish you both the best. Always love each other." Ron walked up to their table and gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek and clapped Harry on the back. Ron and Hermione headed back to their tables. Harry stood at his table and raised his glass.

"I want to thank you all for coming and celebrating with us. It means the world to me. I would like to say thank you to the Weasleys first for always accepting me into their family and giving me the love that I never received growing up, even though I was constantly putting one of them in danger, or getting them in trouble. It truly means a lot. I would do anything for any of you. I wouldn't be the man I am today without your guidance and love. Ron, thank you for saying that I deserve your sister. You were the one person I was always scared of disappointing when I went after her. I was scared of losing you as my best mate. You were also wrong, you were always the best of friends. We had rows, which always happens with friends. You always came back, which shows how loyal you truly are. Hermione, everything comes down to you. If you had never told Ginny to move on, who knows if I would have noticed her. You are truly amazing, and I owe my life and happiness to you. Thank you for being the best sister in the world. Now on the my gorgeous wife...Ginny, I know I hurt you when I broke it off with you and then left for a year, but I had to. I had to keep you safe. If you had gotten hurt, I wouldn't had been able to live with myself. You were the only thing that kept me going wihle we were gone though. I would take out my map of Hogwarts and stare at your dot, just watching you. You kept me centered. Now that the war is over and I'm actually still alive, you've made me the happiest man alive. Thank you for doing me the honor of marrying me." He gave her a deep kiss. "I would like everyone to raise their glasses now in a toast to those lost in the wars, who couldn't be here. My parents, James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Dobby, and Colin Creevy." Everyone raised their glasses, clinked them together and drank deeply. There were a few tears.

The party flowed nicely into dancing. Fred lightly grabbed her waist and led her into a effortless dance. Fred leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "That was a beautiful speech, love. Did you rehearse or shoot from the hip?" She laughed breathily as he spun her across the floor. "I actually had no idea what I was going to say when I went up there. Figured it would be more heartfelt if I didn't sound like I was reading from a book." He smiled at her. "Well, you're correct, Mia. You were the best by far, love." She smiled up at him. "Why thank you, Mr. Weasley."

As he twirled her around, he passed the bride and groom. She looked startled when he told her, "I disagree with you on one point though. You deserve a love like that just as much as they do. You've suffered just as much as they have. I intend to love you like that, just like you deserve." She stopped moving but he effortlessly picked her up and kept dancing with her, like she was a doll. She started stuttering. "B-b-but Freddie, they loved each other before the bond, we already said that we didn't know if the love was real or not. We were just glad that it wasn't going anywhere." He smiled down at her. "No, I thought about it. I fancied you. A lot. I never really got you out of my mind. I worried about you while you were on the run. There was a rage in me when I found Ron on top of you that night. I really examined it and it was jealousy. I didn't want him on you at all because I wanted you. I had feelings for you deep down. I had buried them so deep because you were gone and I just never really thought you would return them. I think, Mia, if you examine your feelings, you never got rid of your feelings for me either. I think that's why we were bonded together. Did purple smoke rise when they cast the spell on you at the Ministry?" She nodded silently. "It did me too. I think that means something. George said his was yellow. Angie said hers was yellow too. I really think that we were put together because we had feelings for each other. I loved you before, I just didn't want to admit it to myself." A smile spread across her face. "Really? You loved me before?" He nodded. She threw herself in his arms. Guests around them stared at them. "I love you too, Freddie!" They finished their dance and another one after that, but then it was time for the maid of honor to dance with the best man. "Just yell for me or George if he tries anything, love." Fred whispered in her ear.

Ron drew Hermione into his arms, closer than she would have liked, but she didn't pull away or fight him. The music began and he began to push her around the floor. He lacked the grace the Fred flaunted. She remained silent, concentrating on the dance.  
"Hermione, are you never going to talk to me?" She looked up at him without moving her head.  
"Gods, Hermione, don't do that. That's so bloody hot, it doesn't make it any easier." She lowered her eyes and began to pull away. He held her tight. "Please don't, I'm sorry. I was just telling you. Please talk to me." Hermione blew a breath out. "Ronald, you don't make this any easier on me either. I just keep waiting for you to snap." He nodded. "I know, Hermione, I know that. I'm trying not to. I'm trying to just be your friend. But I used to snap on you all the time when I was your friend. I'm not trying to justify it, but you can't have it both ways." Her eyes started to flash and he looked startled.  
"Or you and Harry could grow up and stop taking your anger out on me. Every time you two would get angry when you were young you would lash out at me. He's gotten better, somewhat. You haven't. Try being the adult you are. The engaged adult you are." She abruptly wrenched herself out of his arms a few seconds before the song ended. She was instantly swept into a dance by Charlie, who was just as horrible at dancing at Ron. The fact that he had been drinking firewhiskey didn't help his coordination. He lurched forward, knocking her off balance, causing her to fall to the side, twisting her ankle in her heel. "Shit, 'Mione, I'm so bloody sorry, lost my balance for a second. Let me help you up." Charlie helped her to her feet. She went to put weight on her foot but couldn't. A small yelp of pain escaped her lips. She was looking around for Fred or George but they were nowhere to be found.

Ron saw the problem and came over. Hermione looked at him and asked him. "Can you go find Fred? Charlie is drunk." Charlie looked down at her indignantly. "I'll have you know, Miss Granger, that it takes far more than this to get me drunk. I am just fine. Watch." He scooped her up in his arms, bridal style, and started spinning her around in circles laughing loudly. Hermione threw her arms around his neck, and buried her face in the juncture of his neck and shoulders, and started yelling at him. "Charlie Weasley, you put me down this instant. I swear to the gods, I'm going to hex you!" She could hear guests laughing and Ron telling Charlie that he wasn't going to protect him when she finally got ahold of her wand. Charlie stopped and then started to spin the other way, laughing harder. She could hear him taunting her. "Protect me? From 'Mione? She wouldn't hex me. She loves me too much. I'm just messing her about, having a good time. She's having fun." She started to hit him in the chest with her fist. It had no effect except making him laugh. It's no wonder Ginny was so tough. "Charlie Weasley, if you don't stop spinning me, I'm going to get sick on you!" That one worked. Kind of. He stopped spinning but refused to put her down. Hermione was still hitting him in the chest with her fist and he was still laughing at her with his booming laugh when Fred and George emerged from the shadows. They both approached the scene immediately, brows furrowed. "What's going on? What's wrong?" Hermione didn't give anyone else a chance to speak. "Your drunk brother knocked me down while dancing with me, spraining my ankle. He helped me up and Ron came to see if I was alright. I asked him to come find you because Charlie was drunk. He was determined that he wasn't drunk and to prove it, he picked me up and started spinning me in circles. He wouldn't stop, in fact, he changed direction. He didn't stop until I told him I was going to get sick on him." George burst out laughing. Fred hid a smile behind his hand but looked at Ron. "Why didn't you come get me? She's hurt." Ron held his hands up. "I was going to, but he picked her up and started spinning her. I was afraid his drunk arse was going to fall on her." Fred nodded. "True. Charlie, give her here." Charlie pouted but handed Hermione to Fred.

As her body shifted, she was able to get her wand out of the bodice of her dress. Aiming it at Charlie, she sent a tickling curse at him. "Don't tell me I won't hex you next time!" Even Ron walked off yelling, "I told you I wouldn't protect you when she was able to get her wand!" Fred sat her down on a chair and healed her ankle in time to see Harry and Ginny emerging from the house in traveling clothes. They were getting ready to leave for their honeymoon in Paris for two weeks. Hermione would miss them both. As they apparated away, Hermione looked at Fred. He was already looking at her. Reaching out and touching her hair, he whispered in her ear. "Think we can get away with sneaking off to bed and just cleaning up tomorrow?" She smiled at him and whispered back. "Lets give it a shot. It's worth a try." They snuck up the stairs, shed their clothes and fell asleep in each others arms.

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	24. Chapter 24

A/N- Ok, I should have made the wedding two chapters since it was soooo damn long, but I was on a roll and kept writing. I had it saved as one before I realized it so you guys got lucky haha. Hope you liked it (: I hate to break it to you but this chapter is just kind of a filler chapter, but I hope you like it anyways! As always, let me know (:

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 24 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` September 6, 1998

Hermione, dear,

If you could please sort our dinner, I would appreciate it. I've got caught up at Angie's with her and her mum planning the wedding. I'll be there to help as soon as I can. Thank you dear.

Molly

Hermione sighed and scribbled out a response to Molly, telling her it was no problem and to take her time. After tying the parchment onto the owl's leg, she sent the bird back. Dean came round the corner with an armful of fake wands to restock. Hermione turned towards him as she waited on the next customer. "Dean, could you send Fred or George out here as soon as you're done restocking those wands?" He glanced up from his spot on the floor. "Sure, Hermione, give me just a couple minutes." She checked out two teen boys that appeared to be just three or four years younger than she was while she waited. Five minutes had passed when George rounded the corner out of the back room. "What can I do you for, Miss Granger? Dean said you needed our assistance." He leaned on the edge of the counter and looked at her expectantly. She nodded.  
"I need you or Fred to come take over the register. I have to go home and start dinner. Your mum is staying at Angie's late planning your wedding so she needs me to cook. If you all want to eat, that is." She flashed him a coy smile, knowing that not eating was completely out of the question.  
"I see the problem. Well, I'll take over since Fred's brewing a potion and you can go ahead and go. We'll be closing soon anyways." He shuffled behind her, trading her out. She removed her nametag and laid it on the shelf behind the counter before leaving. "I'm going to go tell Fred I'm leaving." He waved her on, already helping the next customer in line.

She headed to the back room, knocking on the door so as not to startle him while he was brewing a potion. Fred glanced up at her briefly and then back down at the potion he was ladling into little bottles, already prelabled. "Hey, Freddie, I have to head home and start dinner. Your mum is staying late at Angie's to plan the wedding so she wants me to cook. Georgie's on the register. You ok back here?" He smiled at her, waving her away. "I'm fine, love. You worry too much. And you're way too good to all of us." She smiled back as she was apparated away into nothing.

Landing on her feet at the apparition point at the Burrow, she rolled her neck and shoulder. Her shoulder was aching. She kicked her shoes off once inside the door. She headed to the kitchen and began dinner. Twenty minutes into making the meal, Arthur, Percy, and Charlie arrived home from work. Hermione relayed Molly's message about late, which everyone seemed to accept. Charlie, who was still sore about being hexed by Hermione, made a smart comment. "Hope your cooking can compare with Mum's 'Mione. You'll never hear the end of it if it doesn't" His eyes were sparkling with a laugh that hadn't left his lips yet. She turned from the stove and shot him a dirty look. "By all means, Charlie, don't eat it if you're scared it won't compare. I'm sure nobody else will mind eating your share. You should be happy you're not having to cook it. You would be burning it, I guarantee you." Even Arthur was laughing at their exchange now. Arthur leaned forward on his elbows. "Aside from Charlie's ribbing, we appreciate you cooking Hermione." Ron walked through the door at this moment, home from his training. Upon hearing this, a look of horror crossed his face.  
"Hermione is cooking by herself? Oh gods, we're not eating mushrooms are we?" Hermione threw him a look of loathing. "Ronald, I swear, I will hex you! Don't start. It will be fine!" He held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm just kidding, Hermione, I swear! I'll eat it, I promise."

The twins came in a few minutes later, laughing at some joke they had shared on the walk from the apparition point, no doubt. The both walked up to the stove to inspect the food she had made for dinner. George nodded as if she had gotten a practical exam correct. Fred started to massage her shoulders. She drew in a little breath, a little too sharply. He noticed, kissing the side of her head, and quit. "It smells amazing, Mia. Let me carry it to the table for you." George laughed at him.  
"Gods, Fred, you act like she's helpless. She's been tortured twice. She fought Bellatrix and Greyback. She helped take down the most evil dark wizard of our time. She saved your arse, for gods sake. She's one tough cookie. I'm pretty sure she can handle carrying some dishes to the table." She hid a smile behind her hand until she saw Fred's expression. It was cold. Hermione couldn't ever recall seeing him look at George like that.  
"Hey, Charlie, would you help Mia carry all this to the table please?" Charlie nodded and stood up, sensing the tension between the twins. "Truly, I'm fine. I don't need help." Hermione protested. Nobody paid her any mind. She sighed in frustration. Fred grabbed George's forearm and pulled him into the living room where they wouldn't be overheard.

George yanked his arm out of Fred's grip once they were out of sight and out of hearing distance. "What the fuck is your problem, Fred? You treat her like she's a china doll. I assure you, she's far from it. A fucking china doll couldn't take the cruciatus curse ten times like that without screaming or begging for him to stop. All to spare her friend the pain and guilt of her torture. Shit, she's tougher than the two of us combined." The pain from the thought of her torture shot through Fred like a bullet. He raked his hand through his shaggy red hair.  
"You think I don't already know that, George? I know exactly whats been done to her and just how tough she is. But that shoulder pain is my fault, and if I can help her out, I'm going to. And I'll be damned if you're going to rag on me for it. You wouldn't make Angie's suffering less if you could?" A confused look stole across George's face. "Wait. What shoulder pain? And why is it your fault? I thought that her back hurt every now and then because of Bellatrix." Fred wiped a hand down his face blowing out a big breath.  
"Her back does hurt her. Not all the time, but when it does, it hurts her a lot. She tries to lie and say it's just a little, but I know better. Nobody knows that her shoulder hurts her but me. When she saved me at Hogwarts, a chunk of that wall hit her in the back. It broke her spine and three of her ribs. When Madam Pomfrey healed her, it didn't heal right or something so she had to shift the bone in her spine. It now causes her shoulder to hurt here and there. Madam Pomfrey said she could fix it, but she would have to rebreak her spine. Hermione didn't want to go through the pain again, so she just deals with the shoulder pain that crops up. I offered to carry the dishes because I started to rub her shoulders and she winced so I know it's hurting. She's worked for us all day and then she came home and cooked dinner. I didn't think that carrying the dishes was too radical of a move to help her." George was now rubbing his face with both his hands.  
"Why in the bloody hell doesn't she tell us these things? Now I feel like a complete arse." Fred let out a little laugh.  
"The night she ran into you and got a bloody nose? She just told me that night and I reacted the same way. You saw how it turned out. Threatened to hex me if I said another word. She doesn't want people to worry about her...she doesn't like to be in the spotlight." George nodded. "That's true enough. Well, when you know she's hurting, Freddie, just tell me and I'll do my best to help her out." Fred nodded. "She may not appreciate that but I'll see what I can do." Fred clapped him on the shoulder and they walked back into the kitchen together in a considerably better mood.

The table was set and the food was all laid out, everyone was simply waiting on the twins to return. Hermione shot Fred a questioning look as they were taking their seats. He rubbed her thigh and leaned over whispering the word, "Later." in her ear when nobody was looking. Ron and Charlie both ate thirds of her meal, finally admitting that she could cook almost as good as Molly, who turned up just before they all started dessert. She dropped a kiss on Hermione's head as she walked by, thanking her profusely for cooking dinner in her absence. She quickly caught the table up to speed on the progress that she and Angelina had made on the wedding plans. George and Charlie grimaced, enduring in silence. Hermione smiled behind her hand but listened wholeheartedly, since she wouldn't be required to be involved in entirety of the planning. Angelina had asked her cousin to be her maid of honor and Fred would be George's best man. She insisted on Gryffindor colors, red and gold, with white lilies for her flowers. It was sounding like it would be a beautiful wedding. Fred and George both helped Hermione clear the table, much to Molly's surprise. "Hermione, dear, just leave the dishes. I'll do them when I'm done eating. You cooked and cleared the table, it's the least I can do." Hermione smiled in relief and headed into the living room to rest on the couch. Both twins leaned down and kissed their mother on the cheek.

George informs the family he's going to floo over and visit Angie and probably won't return that night. After hearing this news, Fred pulls Hermione to her feet and leads her up the stairs. He put a locking and silencing charm on her door and then on George's door so nobody could go around. Hermione watches him quietly, amusement in her eyes. He pins her up against the back of the door, holding her mouth hostage. She can't move, but she doesn't want to. He sweeps her up into his arms, taking her breath away. Carrying her into the bathroom, she wraps her arms around his neck, not relinquishing his mouth for a second. He reaches down and turns the water on after setting her on her feet. Pulling her shirt off, his hands can't get enough of her soft skin. She's in a frenzy, she can't keep her hands off of him. His hard muscles, acrued from years on the quidditch pitch, have made her panties wet. Her frantic hands pull at his shirt. Kicking her pants off, she gives him a dirty smile and steps into the shower. He shoves his jeans and boxers off and follows her, wanting what follows the dirty smile. Joining her under the stream of hot water, his hands reach out to stroke her naked flesh. Their mouths join under the water, a whole new sensation he had never experienced before. He pulled away, craving her smell. He squeezed her shampoo into his hand, rubbing it into her hair. He inhaled deeply, the smell overpowering his senses. He had always loved peaches.

He turned her away from him, his hands running down the length of her spine. His hands stopped to massage her shoulders, earning a moan from her perfect lips. She had to lean forward and grab the bar in front of her to keep her balance. His rock hard member was pressing against her hot core from behind. The shampoo he had rubbed in her hair was running down her back as it rinsed out. He pulled her up against him, tasting the skin where her shoulder met her neck. She gasped out loud when he reached down and wiggled two fingers inside her. As his fingers danced in her, his teeth nibbled down her shoulder and then over her collarbone. He reached around her ribs with his free arm, holding her up when her legs gave out as her muscles clenched down on his fingers. Her moans reverberated through the bathroom.

When she was able to bear weight again, he gave her no warning. Entering her swiftly from behind, he had her pinned against the wall again. He pumped into her slowly, savoring the feel of her quivering flesh. Her curves felt delicate against him. He began to suck on her neck just under her jaw, knowing he was leaving a bruise, and she pressed her bottom into him, urging him to ride her harder. He tugged her hair lightly, pulling her head back onto his chest, admiring the view looking down her body. He drove his cock into her body with wild abandon now, her urging him on. Her muscles once again clenched down on him as she reached her orgasm, reaching back behind her to grip the back of his neck. The sound of her orgasm sent him over the edge. Dark spots blurred his vision as he came deep inside her. He leaned against the wall of the shower until he could regain his breath, never letting go of Hermione.

When he was able to breathe, he released Hermione and turned her towards him. Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her into an embrace. "I love you, Mia." She trailed her hands up and down his back. "I love you too, Freddie." He brushed a wet strand of hair off her forehead and smiled down at her. "How's your shoulder now? Still hurt?" She laughed. "What shoulder?" It was now his turn to throw back his head and laugh. "By the way, love, I kind of told Georgie about your shoulder. He won't tell anyone, he was giving me a hard time for wanting to help you out. So I told him. I hope you aren't too mad at me." She nodded at him, quiet at first. Then she smiled. "No, I'm not mad. I can't expect you to keep everything from him. But I do expect you to keep my secrets secret." He nodded. "I understand, Mia. I just didn't think that it was a big deal. I'm sorry." She smiled at him. "I'm not mad, Freddie, truly. How's about we go ahead and go to bed?"

He shut off the water and handed her a towel. She made sure to charm her hair dry so she wouldn't have to lie on wet hair. They crawled into bed together, naked. He tucked the blankets around them and she snuggled up against him. Being that close to her gave him flashbacks of the shower. It sent a delightful shiver through his body. "Goodnight, Mia." "Goodnight, Freddie." Her voice was already heavy with sleep. She held tight to his hand. He burrowed his face down in her neck, closed his eyes, and fell asleep with the smell of peaches wafting in and out of his dreams.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Like I said, kind of a filler chapter but hopefully you liked it. You know what to do!


	25. Chapter 25

A/N- Well, that last chapter was a bit STEAMY...hope you all enjoyed. Nothing tooooo exciting in this chapter but anyways...More on the story now (:

Disclaimer: Oh ya know, the usual. I don't own anything, blah blah blah.

Chapter 25 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` September 11, 1998

Hermione brushed her hair off the back of her neck. The main floor of Weasley's Wizards Wheezes was hot and sticky. She waved her wand around herself, casting a cooling charm. It was almost time for her lunch break, but with the heat that was plaguing the store, she didn't think she would be able to eat anything substantial. The line of customers was getting ever longer.

She worked tirelessly for two more hours. She had set a refilling charm on her water so she wouldn't become dehydrated. Fred and George had decided to close the shop down a few hours early that day since Harry and Ginny would be returning from their honeymoon. Hermione was anxious to see both of them. She was lacking female companionship.

After George came out and locked the door behind the last customer, Hermione sank into the chair behind the counter. "Thank the gods we're closing early today. It seems like an inferno in here today. I didn't know how much longer I could take it." George eyed her guiltily. "Well, Fred and I were experimenting in the back with heating charms for one of the new products. That probably didn't help." Hermione shot him a glare that could only be matched by Molly Weasley. "So you mean to tell me that Dean, Lee and I have been sweating our arses off because of you two?" George held his hands up. "Maybe. But you if guys are hot out here, you know Fred and I are sweating our bollocks off!" Hermione glared at him for a few moments longer and then relented. She was halfway through counting out the drawer when Fred emerged from the back room, his hair damp with sweat.  
"I just want you to know, Frederick, that if you two are messing with those charms tomorrow, I'm not coming in." He grinned at her, kissing her on her damp brow. "No, love, we're all done with them. I see you're cooling charms didn't help too much." She gave him the same glare that she had given George earlier.

Once the store was ready to close, the twins and Hermione went to Gringotts together to drop off the money. Fred started the wedding conversation. "Georgie, you're going to be my best man, right?" George gave a hearty laugh. "Wouldn't miss it for world, Freddie." George looked across Fred at Hermione. "So, 'Mione, who are you going to make me walk down the aisle with? Please tell me with won't be Lavender." Hermione's gaze jumped to his familiar face, with indignation flashing across her features. "Absolutely not! Ginny, of course. I'm thinking Luna also, and Fleur. Can you live with that?" George nodded. "Ginny, I can handle." Fred also nodded, looking thoughtful. "That means I need to come up with two more groomsmen. Who should I pick?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "It's up to you. If you don't want to choose, I can just have Ginny." Fred shook his head. "No, I think Bill and Charlie. I was always closest to them after George. We can ask them all tonight at dinner."

Hermione was looking thoughtful. "I wish my dad was here to give me away. I don't want to walk down the aisle by myself." Fred put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to him. "I know, love. If you want, we can go look for them." She stared blankly into the distance for a few minutes, then shook her head.  
"No, I think that would be extremely selfish of me. I completely erased myself from their lives and had them start anew in a completely new place. To inject myself back in their lives and have them come back wouldn't be fair. If I could even reverse the spell. I wasn't sure I would be able to when I cast it." George looked a little uncomfortable when stray tears slid down her cheeks. Fred pulled her into his chest in the middle of Diagon Alley. She wrapped her arms around his waist. After a few minutes of tears, he broke the silence. "I'm sure that Dad would walk you down the aisle, Mia."

She broke away, wiping her cheeks, with a smile on her face. "No, he walked his daughter down the aisle. I do have an idea though. I don't want to say anything else right now. I want to think about it a little more first." Fred nodded, running his hand down her hair. They apparated directly to the Burrow after leaving Gringotts, knowing that Harry and Ginny were due back soon. Hermione grabbed a piece of parchment and quill and dashed out a note to Luna, asking her if she would like to be a bridesmaid for her wedding and sent it off with Hermes, as Errol was already out on a delivery for Molly.

Halfway through making supper, Hermione heard the faint pop of apparition, and seconds later, Harry and Ginny were walking through the back door into the kitchen. There was a mad rush of giving hugs and kissing cheeks, commenting on their tans, and congratulating them on their new marriage again. Once they had settled, there were stories of Paris. Hermione listened intently. She had always wanted to visit Paris. The rest of the family seemed as caught up in the magical tales as she was.

As they were clearing up the table, Hermes flew in the window, a piece of parchment attached to his leg. Hermione rushed forward to detach it. It was from Luna.

Hermione,

I would be honored to be a bridesmaid in your wedding. I am very flattered that you would ask. Just let me know what you need me to do and when I need to do it. Thanks again.

Luna

Hermione smiled to herself. Fred looked at her questioningly. She handed him the note, which he read over, smiled at her, gave her a kiss, and then handed it back to her. Ginny looked at her with a confused look on her face. Hermione had missed not being able to slip anything past her. She cleared her throat a little and laid the note on the table. "Fleur, I was wondering if you would be one of my bridesmaids in my wedding?" A grin broke out across Fleur's face. "Of course I would, 'ermione! Oh, another aisle to walk down, what fun!" She started to rub her hands together. Hermione smiled at her and then turned to Ginny.  
"Gin, I was wondering, since we've been friends for seven years now, if you would be my maid of honor?" Ginny started squealing and flung her arms around Hermione. "Of course I will, why are you even asking?" She couldn't help but laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. Fred took over. "Well, we all know that George is my best man. I was wondering if you, Bill, and you, Charlie, would want to be groomsmen?" They both stood to give him claps on the shoulder as they agreed wholeheartedly.

Molly looked thoroughly excited at the thought of wedding planning going on around her table. Fred looked at his mother's hopeful face and then at Hermione. She smiled at him and then a slight nod. "Mum, would it be ok if we had the wedding here? We really want a wedding at home." The look on Molly's face was pure joy. She threw an arm around each of their shoulders. "Of course you can! It would be our pleasure to have it here." George made a gagging sound and muttered under his breath. "Suck up." Hermione hid a smile behind her hand. She turned to Harry next. "I wanted to know if you would do a special favor for me, Harry." He looked at her confused, as did everyone else at the table. Hermione sighed and went on the explain.  
"I decided today not to look for my parents. It would be extremely selfish of me to expect them to forgive me for erasing their memories, no matter how noble the reason, and wanting them to just give up their lives and move back here. Therefore, I have nobody to give me away. Since you are like the brother I never had, Harry, would you give me away in my father's place?" The table was silent. Hermione felt Fred's hand move to her lower back. Her eyes didn't move from Harry's face. He stood up and walked around the table, taking her hand. "Are you sure, 'Mione? Bout not going after them?" She nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to them. In no way, would it be fair. They would never trust me again anyways. I made a choice and now I have to live with the consequences." Harry looked down, but nodded. Pulling her into a hug, he gave her an answer. "It would be my honor to give you away at your wedding. Provided that the groom deserves you." He shot a devilish grin towards Fred, who was shaking his head at this comment. She leaned forward and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Harry. And trust me, Fred deserves me. I'm not sure if I deserve him sometimes." Her laugh carried throughout the room as Fred turned pink.

Harry goes back to his seat after the room has quit laughing at Fred's obvious blush. Ginny clears her throat and everyone looks at her. Hermione opens her eyes wide, expecting the worst. "Well, we have some news too. We've decided that we want to move into Grimmauld Place in the next couple weeks, rather than buy a new home. We've already talked to Kreacher and he's getting the house ready for us." Molly stared at her for a few moments and then burst into tears. "My baby is married, all grown up, and moving away! I'm never going to see her again..." Ginny looked confused and then terrified. She had no idea what she was supposed to say to her mother's tears. Arthur stood up, giving his wife a hug. She seemed to cry harder. Bill sighed, standing as well. Arthur backed up, letting his son hug his mother.  
"Mum, I'm married, and have been for awhile. You still have me and I still come around. You haven't lost Ginny. You, in fact, just gained Harry. Stop worrying." She gave him a weak smile and nodded, sniffling. Ginny gave him a smile.

Not long after that, Ginny and Harry excused themselves, claiming to be tired. Hermione helped with the dishes, leaving Molly in her silence. When she went upstairs, Fred was showered and in bed, with his arms behind his head, waiting for her. She headed for the shower herself, filling the loo with steam and her scents. After she was charmed dry and dressed, she climbed into bed with Fred, snuggling into his warmth. "I like what you did with Harry, love. Brother is the next best thing to your father." She looked up at him and smiled. He kissed her on the top of the head. "I was wondering, where do you want to live after we're married? We haven't really thought about anything past the wedding." She rolled onto her back, looking up at the ceiling in deep thought.  
"I'm not really sure. What are your thoughts?" He rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. "Well, there's the flat above the shop, but I really don't want to start a life together with you there. That's where George and I lived together. I think I want to live in the country rather than in the city." She rolled onto her side and propped herself up to mirror him, looking him in the face. She smiled at him. "That sounds nice, actually. A country home would be wonderful for children. Away from prying eyes." He cupped her face and leaned over her, kissing her deeply. "You had me at 'wonderful for children', love." He pulled her onto his shoulder, kissed her temple, and they both dropped off to sleep, dreaming of their future children.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Okey doke, we got some wedding plans going on now (: Next chapter up is Hermione's birthday...wonder what will happen? Til then, let me know what you guys think! Thank you bunches, as always!


	26. Chapter 26

A/N- I just wanna shoot a big thanks to all the people who have followed/favorited this story. Your dedication is giving me the drive the to keep going (: You all rock! Since this is my first fanfic, you're making me feel like a rockstar...thanks again guys!

Sidenote: I have two chapters uploaded after this one that I will upload sometime next week... My son, however, broke my laptop. I am currently trying to work from my home computer around the rest of the family's schedules which is proving somewhat difficult. Updates will be a little further in between! Sorry guys :(

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 26 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` September 19, 1998

The smell of bacon and eggs wafting through her room woke Hermione up. As she fought to open her eyes, she felt Fred drag his fingers down her bare shoulders. She smiled in her sleepy state. "Come on, Mia, wake up. I brought you breakfast in bed. You better sit up and eat before it gets cold." She rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed. "Freddie, you didn't have to bring me breakfast in bed. I could have came downstairs just as easily." She daintily started in on her meal, still not fully awake.

As she ate her meal, he explained to her that he had arranged for them both to have the whole day off work and he was taking her out for the day. Her eyes gleamed at the prospect of an adventure with him. She was climbing into the shower as he carried down the dirty dishes to the kitchen. She dressed in jeans and a simple long sleeved blue shirt that just barely reached the waist of her jeans. Throwing a cloak over her arm, she headed down the stairs.

Upon seeing the cloak over her arm, Fred let out a laugh. "Love, I forgot to specify. We're headed to muggle London. You might want to transfigure that." She shot him a dirty look but waved her wand nonetheless. A blue jacket, just a few shades lighter than her shirt, appeared in its place. Of all people, Percy raised his hand in farewell. "See you later, Hermione. I'll be a bit late for the party." Ginny hissed and swatted him on the back of the head. "Way to go Perce, it was supposed to be a surprise!" Hermione laughed. "I kind of figured it out anyways. It's my birthday, breakfast in bed, Fred taking the day off, getting me out of the house all day...it's a dead giveaway to a party." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Fred, this is all your fault. You weren't subtle enough." He held up his hands as Hermione laughed again. "Gin, it wasn't his fault. Remember, you are dealing with the brightest witch of her age." Fred grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door to Ginny still berating Percy for blowing the secret.

The young pair apparated to a shopping mall located in one of the busier parts of town. He was a little overwhelmed at the size but she seemed completely at ease. Upon entering the building, she pulled him by their interlaced fingers to a large fountain. There was all sizes of muggle money on the bottom of the fountain, water pouring on top of it from numerous nozzles. Hermione dug in her purse, took out two muggle coins, and handed one to Fred. To his surprise, she stood up on the ledge, his grip tightening on her hand, closed her eyes, scrunched her nose, and threw the coin into the water. She smiled, opened her eyes and climbed back down. Looking at him expectantly, she told him, "Your turn." Confused, he turned to her. "I really don't know what you just did." She pushed him up towards the edge, urging him up. "You close your eyes, make a wish, and throw the coin in. It's called a wishing well. It's something muggles do." He grinned down at her. He didn't step on the ledge, but closed his eyes, and then threw the coin in. She was smiling up at him when he opened his eyes.

He pulled her past stores, both of them windowshopping. As they passed a popular clothing store, he gave her a gentle shove inside. "It's you're birthday, love. Go find you some clothes you like." She looked up at him beseechingly but gave in when he gave her a stern look. "Fine, fine, I'll get a couple things. Maybe I'll even wear something new tonight."  
He gave her a kiss as she departed into the store.

While she was in the clothing store shopping, he wandered a few stores down, trying to think of a good gift to get her for her birthday. A quaint jewelery store off in a corner caught his eye. It wasn't a large flashy chain store, just Hermione's taste. He wandered in, looking through the glass cases. A silver locket on a dainty chain caught his eye. He waved the man over, asking him to take it out. After inspecting it and finding it perfect, he purchased it and hid it in his pocket.

Fred found Hermione coming out of the clothing store holding a bag in each hand. She met him with a kiss. "I hope you're happy. That was entirely too much money to be spent on clothes." He smiled down at her. "I'm sure it was worth it. You'll look smashing in them." They linked hands after Fred took her bags from her. As they walked past an electronics store, Fred had an idea. He pulled her inside.  
"I have a great idea, love. Let's buy a muggle television and tapeplayer. We can set it up at the Burrow for now, and then take it with us when we move. Or just get another set when we move." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh that's a wonderful idea, Fred! Your dad would love it! He wrapped his arm around her slender waist. "I wasn't thinking of my dad, Mia. You're the one who grew up a muggle." Moving through the store with ease, Hermione compared the products, finally deciding on her purchases.

Against Hermione's advice, Fred vanished their purchases to the Burrow while the store owner wasn't looking. He kissed away her stern look, laughing away the remnants of it that remained after the kiss. They walked towards the exit of the shopping mall, both tired from walking all morning. Once they reached a deserted alley near the mall, they apparated back to the Burrow.

Ginny was excited when they returned, seeing their purchases had landed in the living room. Hermione laughed at her, trying to explain what they were for while eating a light lunch and drinking tea next to Fred.  
"Well, you give it electricity and you put a tape in it, like what Fleur took of us, and it goes up on the screen for everyone to watch."  
"That sounds like so much fun. It could be a tape of anything." Ginny was so entralled. It was so funny for Hermione for to picture Ginny watching a movie.  
"That is the general idea, yes. Your father will love it, I'm sure." Hermione assured her. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap before my party." She told everyone at the table. Fred kissed her on the side of the head and urged her towards the stairs.

She settled herself on the bed after climbing the winding staircase to her room. The upstairs was quiet with nobody home but Molly, Ginny, and Fred. All three were busy with the preparations for her party. She contented herself with thoughts of her party. Her guests were sure to be familty and friends, past professors or order members. The food would be amazing, as always. She wondered about her gifts. The Weasleys had never really thrown her a birthday party, as her birthday had always landed after they had went back to Hogwarts. Not to say she had never gotten a gift. She had always received a little something, minced pies, or a cake. It had just never been a big deal. This was the first celebration, as Harry and Ron had horrible memories. They always seemed to remember a day or two after the event. She drifted off to sleep smiling to herself,despite the fact that she would be center of attention.

She awoke to Fred shake her lightly. "Mia, wake up, love. Your party is going to start in an hour. You've been sleeping all afternoon." Sitting up blearily, she rubbed her eyes, smiling. "Thanks, Freddie. I wouldn't have wanted to miss my first Weasley birthday party." He helped her sit up and rubbed her arm while she got her bearings on the side of the bed. He kissed her chastely on the cheek. "Feeling better, love?" She nodded. "I do, actually. I think I want to wear some of my new clothes." He smiled broadly at her and stood to retrieve her bags from the mall for her. She dug around in the bag for a few moments, extracting a three-quarter sleeved dark purple dress that clung to her figure in all the right places and reached to just above her knees. Hermione slipped it over her head and turned for judgement from Fred. He could only stare.  
"Mia, you look amazing. That dress makes me want to jump you right now." She smiled in answer. She ran a brush through her near waist length hair and applied light makeup to her face. He watched in wonder. He didn't know if it was just he that she bewitched or every man.

She floated down the stairs, Fred at her side. The kitchen and living room were decorated and the table was loaded with food. Guests had begun to arrive. There was a large pile of gifts on the table in the living room with her name on them. Professor McGonagall sought her out by the kitchen table.  
"Miss Granger, dear, I just wanted to say that I miss you quite a bit at Hogwarts this year. I thought that I would get the priviledge of teaching you one more year until this law came into effect. But we all must do what we must. I'm just glad that you are happy. Godric only knew you'd be happy with a Weasley twin." She gave her a smile as she patted her on the cheek. Fred winked at her from across the room as Professor McGonagall walked away as if he could hear the conversation that they were having. Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Molly came to the table holding her cake shaped as a large book, with the words 'Hogwarts, A History' in icing. Everyone joined in singing, making Hermione duck her head in embarrassment.

After Molly had cut the cake and handed out pieces, Ginny clapped her hands together and shouted above the noise. "Present time!" She skipped to the present pile and started shoving presents under Hermione's nose. She laughed as she started to unwrap them one by one. She thanked each person accordingly, loving the thought every person put into their gift. Ginny tried to hand her a little package, but Fred snatched it out her hands. "That one last, Gin." She rolled her eyes but let him keep the package in his hands. Hermione eyed him suspiciously.

When she reached the bottom of the pile, Fred handed her the small package in his hands. "This is from me, Mia. I hope you like it." She swatted him in the arm. "You've gotten me enough already, Freddie!" He smiled at her warmly. "Just open it. I hope you love it." The rest of the party looked on expectantly. Hermione was beginning to wish that he had given her this gift in her room. She took the paper off the box and opened the box. Inside was a silver locket on a thin silver chain. She fingered the small locket open. The piece of jewelery held a photo and an inscription. Her eyes teared up. 'A love that lasts forever' was inscribed on one side of the locket and the photo was one of she and Fred, both smiling. She had her arms around his neck and his arms were wrapped around her waist. He was dressed in dress robes and she in an ice blue dress from Harry and Ginny's wedding. Her hand covered her mouth in surprise at the gift and she looked up into his waiting eyes. "Freddie, I-I don't know what to say. I love it. Thank you so much." He moved behind her, taking the locket from her hands. Undoing the latch, he hooked it around her neck. He pressed a kiss in the crook of her neck, seemingly unaware that the crowd was watching his show of affection. "I've charmed the chain to never break, love." She smiled up at him and fingered the already warm locket against her chest.

The crowd dispersed and everyone began to clean up. Hermione was thankful that it was not going to be a long drawn out party. Everyone had to work the next day. She began to clear dishes from the table. Molly instantly started to swat her away. Fred smiled at her and began to tug towards the stairs, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. She laughed at him but let him pull her upstairs. As Fred shoved her new dress to a pool of shimmery fabric at her feet, she let him give her the best birthday present yet.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` So, I am thoroughly unhappy with how this chapter turned out but I have got MAJOR writers block. It took me all weekend to write this, which is bad for me. Hope I didn't disappoint y'all too badly. I promise to do better on the next chapter. Leave me your thoughts...


	27. Chapter 27

A/N- Ughh! Soo tired of being on crutches and can't even have surgery until the middle of November! Good thing I have other interests besides being active, right? Now that I've vented a bit, I'm hoping that my writers block won't continue...thanks for stickin' with me y'all! On with the story (:

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith.

Chapter 27 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` September 30, 1998

Hermione and Ginny put the last of Harry's clothes in a box. Hermione had stayed home from Weasley's Wizards Wheezes to help Ginny finish moving the rest of their possessions from the Burrow to Grimmauld Place. Hermione waved her wand unceremoniously at the box, vanishing it. Both girls dropped onto the bed exhausted. They lay together in contented silence. Hermione glanced at her best girlfriend.  
"How's it feel, Gin? You're Mrs. Harry Potter, probably the richest witch in Britain, and you're moving into your own house today." Ginny closed her eyes and smiled. "I'm going to be completely honest. It feels pretty amazing. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to play for the Harpies like I always wanted but I got Harry. He's what's going to make me happy for the rest of my life." Ginny opened her eyes and looked over at Hermione. "What about you, 'Mione? How do feel about all this? About my brother?" Hermione gave her a genuine smile.  
"I'm ok, I guess. Sad I don't get to finish my education or take my N.E.W.T.s. Not that they matter to Kingsley, but I hate feeling like I haven't finished something in my life." Ginny started to laugh at her. Hermione swatted her on the arm. Ginny looked at her with a sparkle in her eye. "So how's...John... at shagging?" Hermione looked at her for a moment, incredulous. Then after a moment, remembering their promise to use 'other names', she blushed. "Gods, Gin, you're so dirty! And...John...is amazing. I can't say that I like thinking about him already being skilled in the arts of lovemaking but I can't say that I haven't benefited from him not having to learn. If that made any sense." Ginny propped herself up on her hand. "Are you going to tell me who he has been with? Ron keeps blathering on about how he was this amazing ladies man, he was with all these girls, but he never seemed to have any girls on his arms when I was around." Hermione shook her head. "If he hasn't told you, Gin, I'm not going to. It's not my place. You wouldn't tell me something like that about Harry, would you?" Ginny threw back her head and laughed. "'Mione, you would already know, because you would have been the one to tell him to pull his head out his arse and do it. But I understand that you can't tell me about Fre- I mean, John. Can you at least tell me if he was really as bad as Ron says he was?" Hermione scrunched up her nose. "If it were me, yes. If it were a normal girl, no. But you know me, I'm technically kind of a prude, you know that. Ron just likes to cause trouble and try to make Fr- I mean John- feel bad." Ginny nodded, appearing to be deep in thought. "Hermione, I'm not sure if I would really call you a prude. You just don't believe in having relations with people you don't care about. Those are not the same things." Ginny winked at her. "You don't always get the love bites healed. When you lean the right way, they show out the neck of your shirt. That's a sure sign that things are far from boring the sack." Hermione's mouth widened into an a large O. "Oh gods, that's embarrassing! See what I get for trusting Fred to heal me!" Ginny just laughed in response. "I think he leaves them on purpose, to mark his territory for Ron to see. And after all that has happened, you can't really blame him, can you? Not that we can be sure." Hermione just shook her head, covering her face. Ginny patted her friends shoulder. "Well, 'Mione, you ready to go unpack? At least we'll have help this time around."

Hermione stood up with a groan, Ginny following. They brushed their hair out with their fingers, heading downstairs. After telling Molly where they were headed (and a few tears later), they flooed to Grimmauld Place, met by a Kreacher. He bowed low upon seeing their arrival.  
"Hello, Mistress Ginny. Would you and your young friend like some tea?" Ginny smiled at him. "Sure, Kreacher, whenever you have time. We'll go ahead and start unpacking. Just bring it to wherever we are." Kreacher bowed and disappeared with a snap of his fingers. Turning to Hermione, Ginny started the conversation. "Harry and I have decided that we are going to free Kreacher if he would like it. We don't think he'll take the option, but we're going to offer it. If he doesn't take it, we're going to offer him pay and days off. You should be proud, Hermione, you've been a positive influence." Hermione looked positively radiant at the news, throwing her arms around Ginny.  
"Do you know how long I've waited to see him free?" she squealed. Ginny laughed.  
"I know, that's why you're going to be here when I do it." Hermione beamed.

Heading upstairs, they began in the bedroom, putting away clothes and making the bed. There was already furniture there, as Sirius had left it all to Harry when he had died, but they had both decided that they would purchase all new. Sirius wouldn't want them to live in the past. Neither Harry nor Ginny were the pureblood purists that the house was designed for either. Both being from Gryffindor, neither really fancied the Slytherin colors that were sported everywhere. "Go shopping with my later this week, Hermione? It means you won't have to work or be stuck at the house." Ginny asked her. Hermione threw her a scornful look.  
"Gin, you know I like being at the shop, and I am terrible at decorating." Ginny merely laughed at her again. "Come on, Hermione, don't make me go alone." Hermione sighed, defeated. "Alright, Gin, you win, but you have to tell Fred and George. This means another day that they have to run the register." Continuing to laugh, she agreed. "Oh that's no problem. I can handle those two any day." Smiling, Hermione answered the red-headed witch. "I know, that's what scares me."

Harry chose this moment to walk through the door of their bedroom, home from auror training. After planting a kiss on Ginny's mouth and Hermione's cheek, he smiled at Ginny. "Well, shall we get on with our plans for our evening?" She smiled and nodded. Harry beckoned the elf. "Kreacher." The elf appeared, bowing. "Master Harry?" Harry gestured to a chair in the room. "Why don't you have a seat. We would like to speak with you." Kreacher looked at the chair warily but sat down. Harry began his speech, obviously planned out.  
"Kreacher, Ginny and I would like to offer you a piece of clothing." He produced a shirt that would fit the elf perfectly. "We realize that it is not in the house elf nature to want to be freed, but we are giving you the opportunity to take it if you wish. If you choose to be free, you will still be welcome to live out your days here for all the services you gave to your Master Regulas. You have definetly earned your freedom in your fight against the Dark Lord. If you choose to stay in our service, I would ask that you accept a weekly payment, and days off. You would become a member of the family, not a servant. I am ordering you to make this choice for yourself." Kreacher looked at him in disbelief. Silence followed as the elf pondered. Finally he spoke.  
"Would it be possible to have a combination of both, Master Harry?" Harry looked at the elf with confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean, Kreacher?" The elf twisted his fingers together nervously. "Well, can I take the clothes, with an emblem from the House of Potter? I would be free, but I wish to still work for you. I do not wish to be still. I would like to be part of the family, as you say. It is not necessary that you pay me, that you would consider me family is enough. Wearing your name is an honor." Hermione watched as Harry teared up. Hell, she teared up.

Harry looked at the elf in wonder. He was astounded that the elf felt that way. Ginny took over before he could say anything. "Kreacher, we would be honored if you would wear something from the House of Potter. We are more than happy to give you your freedom and we are still going to pay you. What you do with it is your choice. If you would like to still serve our house, we would be happy to have you. We would never turn you away, because as Harry said, you are family. You are always welcome, serving us or not. We also want to let you know, that you are no longer sleeping in the boiler cupboard. We are giving you Master Regulas' old room. As a proper part of the family, you need a proper room." Tears were now leaking out of the elf's eyes and down his sunken cheeks. Hermione felt a lump in her throat. Kreacher threw himself at Harry and Ginny's feet. "Thank you, Master, Mistress! I could never repay this kindness!" Ginny leaned down and gave him a hug while Harry admonished him. "Kreacher, you are free now. We are no longer your Masters. We are Harry and Ginny. Please make sure you address us as such." Kreacher gave a feeble smile.  
"I will try, but I still wear your emblem. It will be hard not to call you as such." Ginny smiled at him. "It's ok, Kreacher, we understand. It will take getting used to." He nodded, thankful that she understood. "Would you like tea?" All three of you?" Ginny nodded, along with Harry. Hermione looked at the time. "Just a quick cup, then I should go. Everyone's probably wondering where I am."

After Kreacher returned with the tea, proudly wearing his new white sweater, Hermione smiled at Harry and Ginny. "Looks like the Potter family has become three." Ginny smiled back at her. "How'd you like the bedroom bit? That just came to me. It's not like we don't have enough rooms, even if we have a passel of children. Why shouldn't he have his own room?" Hermione nodded at her. "I agree completely, Gin. I'm so happy you two finally freed him. I've been waiting since fifth year to see him freed. He's the reason I started S.P.E.W., remember?" Harry laughed into his cup. "How could I forget? You were always berating us for being mean to him and talking down to him. Sirius too. Gods, he's probably flipping in his grave knowing I just set his old elf free." They all had a good laugh at the thought of the profanities that Sirius would have in regards to his old house elf. Hermione bade them a swift goodbye shortly after, headed for the Burrow.

Arriving at the Burrow, she found Molly, Fred, and Ron pacing. When the soot settled and her vision cleared, she was swept up in Fred's arms. She was overwhelmed at his intensity. Molly and Ron were shooting daggers at her with their eyes. Pulling back, she looked around in confusion. "What's going on?" Fred the hair away from her face and off her shoulder.  
"Love, we've been worried sick. We had no idea where you were. You were supposed to be at Grimmauld Place but nobody has heard from you. You didnt' show up for dinner. We tried to floo message you but nobody was at Grimmauld Place. Where have you been?" Ron and Molly looked on expectantly. Hermione felt her anger build. She stepped back even further, out of Fred's arms completely, sure that fury was dancing in her eyes.  
"I WAS at Grimmauld Place, if anyone had taken the time to actually visit there if they were so bloody worried. We were in Harry and Ginny's room, having a very moving talk with Kreacher, as it so happens, and then a cup of tea. And don't worry about dinner, I'm not that hungry, as it turns out. For the record, I recall being nineteen years old, not nine, and not needing a chaperone to tell me when to come home, especially when I've told them where I'm at. I do recall that I was with a married woman. And if you dare try to tell me this was about my protection, don't. You know as well as I do that I am more than capapble of taking care of myself." She spun on her heel to stalk off, leaving everyone in silence, but Molly spoke before she could make her hasty exit.  
"Hermione, we know you can take care of yourself, but you're part of this family and that means that you don't have to. We'll always be here to help you." She stopped in her tracks for a moment, but then continued on her path out the door towards the pond. She stopped when she got to the end of the dock.

After sitting for ten minutes with her bare feet hanging in the freezing water, Hermione heard heavy footsteps behind her. Ron plopped down next to her, sighing heavily. They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes. He reached over and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand. "You know, 'Mione, you need to give him a break. He's still new when it comes to you and your independent streak. He hasn't realized you aren't used to being taken care of. It really didn't occur to him to even go to Grimmauld Place, he thought that trying to message there was enough. You can't blame him, after us being captured. He and Mum were in a near panic. If you hadn't shown up soon, they were going to contact the aurors." Hermione remained silent, not wanting to see his side. He was still rubbing her hand intimately. "You can tell he cares deeply for you Hermione. I don't know if he really loves you or it's the bond, but he does care. Just don't be too hard on him." He leaned over and kissed her on the side of the head, let go of her hand, and got up and left. Once he was gone for a good time and her toes were frozen, she replaced her socks and flats and walked back to the Burrow, finding it dark.

She walked into her room, finding Fred on his side facing the door, his eyes wide. He sat up as soon as she entered the door. She sauntered past him, entering the loo to tend her teeth, brush her hair and change. When she crawled into bed her teeth were almost chattering with cold. Her feet were still frozen. As she pulled the blanket over herself, her foot brushed Fred's leg, and he exclaimed out loud, "Gods, Mia, you're freezing! Where have you been? Err...never mind. You don't have to tell me. You were right, you're not a child. I suppose I am overprotective and I'm sorry for that. Can you forgive me? I should have went to Grimmauld Place instead of accusing you." Hermione sighed. She had done a lot of that today.  
"Yes, I forgive you. I lost my temper and I shouldn't have. I've been at the pond, just dipping my feet in. Ron came out and talked to me, told me to go easy on you. Said you were extremely worried and that you really care for me. He was rubbing my hand at the time but he was actually talking you up." Fred growled a little at the thought of him rubbing her hand but had to admit that Ron had probably done him a service. He sat up, leaving Hermione shivering under the blanket. Wrapping his warm hands around her cold foot, be began to massage blood back into it. She sighed again, with pleasure this time. Hermione spoke again. "I just want to drop it. We both were wrong and we both know it. I'll apologize to Ron and Molly in the morning. Can we just go to sleep?" He smiled at her in the moonlight. "Go to sleep, love. I'll rub your feet til they're warm." He leaned forward and gave her a lingering kiss in the same spot Ron had kissed her. She nodded, and sighed again. He watched her drift off, wondering if he would ever get things right.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Alrighty...had to throw in a girl talk! Of course, I couldn't forget Kreacher (: I like to think that he wanted to be free but stay on...but who knows! I don't know about you, but Ron is clearly battling with staying Hermione's friend and seducing her. We all know that is a bad combo! The next chapter has a little more action (don't worry, nothing horribly major!) so stay tuned ((:


	28. Chapter 28

A/N- Okey doke, I'm thanking goodness for being stuck inside today...here in the central States, it's hotter than a firecracker! Haha, good thing I love summertime (: anyways, hope y'all are liking my story. There is a certain GUEST reviewer that continues to comment on my formatting. He/she put a review and then deleted it...If you can't read the story, I apologize once again, but please stop putting rude reviews. It's completely uncalled for. If you're going to be a complete ass, at least have the balls to log in under your name. (Excuse my language, y'all!) If you don't like this fiction, DON't READ IT! Anyways, onto more pleasant things (: Thanks again to those who leave their thoughts...I truly appreciate it. You give me the motivation to keep going. I've decided that I'm going to continue the story until Hermione has their first child. Sooo, we still have quite a story ((: Onward, we travel...

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I own nothing, you know the drill.

Chapter 28 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 5, 1998

Hermione rolled her shoulders and her neck, cracking her lower back. She let out a sigh of contentment. Fred cringed at the sounds coming from her back. After checking that the potion was maintaining the slow boil it needed, he moved behind her to give her shoulders a soft rub. "Love, I just don't see how those sounds are healthy. Your bones aren't meant to sound like that." She leaned into his ministrations and chuckled. "Oh that's rubbish, Freddie. It's perfectly normal. Just because you can't do it doesn't make it abnormal. It actually feels quite nice when it pops like that." He gave a small laugh as he moved his thumbs in a small circular motion in her muscle. "Are you saying I'm the abnormal one, Mia?" She reached up and grabbed his hand, turning around. Planting a kiss on the top of his fingers, her eyes sparkled when she replied. "Always." He swatted at her playfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck, moving in for a kiss. His heart sped up as her tongue slid effortlessly inside his mouth, battling for dominance. Wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, he leaned down into her kiss. Her hands came up into his hair and her leg lifted to rub on his upper thigh. At this precise moment, his stomach growled. Her hands stilled, as well as her mouth. She pulled away and laughed.  
"Leave it to a Weasley to ruin the mood because he's hungry." He laughed out loud. "What can I say, we're always hungry! Plus, we've been working on this damn potion for over two hours and it's past lunch time." She pushed on his chest a little, giving her room to wiggle out of his embrace to check on the potion. Her hair fell forward and the smell of peaches wafted towards him making him want to bury his face in her neck.  
"Well, it still has to simmer so how about I go pick everyone up some lunch while you watch it? I can go to the Leaky Cauldron, it isn't far. I can even floo there." He narrowed his eyes, looking uncertain.  
"I don't know, Mia, by yourself? Don't you think that's kind of risky?" Her eyes began to flash.  
"I think I can handle a trip to the Leaky Cauldron by myself when I floo there directly from here. I doubt that Tom would let anything happen to me. If you think that I take too long, you can come check on me." Fred considered this. "Alright, go ahead and go. I am rather hungry and I'm sure that George is too. You know what I usually order." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She gave him a winning smile.  
"I'll go see what George wants and see if Lee and Dean want anything." She turned and headed out the door to go get their orders.

After writing down orders for the four men, she gathered her purse and gave Fred a quick kiss and a reassuring smile. She walked into the fireplace and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. Stepping out of the fireplace, she landed in a busy crowd wanting food. She searched the faces for familiar features. Seeing none, she got a little nervous. However, she waited in line patiently. She knew that if she took too long Fred would be coming after her. Slowly, she made her way to the front of the line. She finally was able to put her order in to the barmaid, who seemed very pleasant despite the busy state of the bar. Hermione leaned against the bar while waiting on her order to be fixed. She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. Assuming it was Fred, she turned around with a smile and a quick response on her lips. When she saw steel blue eyes and platinum blond hair instead, she was at an instant loss for words. Her chest tightened and she couldn't seem to breathe. Malfoy Manor flashed before her eyes. She was on the floor, screaming, laying in her own blood, and he was watching. Doing nothing. Her eyes hardened and she moved to turn away from him. He reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, his eyes pleading her to stop. She shook his hand off her arm.

"Granger, please give me a chance. Just listen to what I have to say. I won't hurt you, I swear it. I'll say everything right here. Just please look at me and listen." She stayed angled towards him, her mouth in a thin line. Her lip was hurting where she was biting it nervously. Malfoy sighed in relief. She released her bottom lip from her teeth and spoke.  
"What could you possibly want to say to me, Malfoy? It isn't like we were ever friends." She sucked her lip back in between her teeth. He nodded his head.  
"I know, Granger, we were always pitted against each other. First because of our house rivalries, and then because of our blood statuses. I want to apologize for everything I ever said or did to hurt you. I know now that I was wrong. It took making a lot of mistakes to realize it, but I have to try to make it right now. As for the what happened at the Manor, I should have stopped it. You can't imagine the guilt that I have, watching what my aunt did to you, hearing you scream, and doing nothing. I doubt I could have stopped her but I should have tried. I'm so sorry." His head dropped, chin to chest. He was silent for a minute. She contemplated his words. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her wrist. His head had snapped up, desperation in his eyes.

"Please, Granger, can you forgive me? All the times I called you mudblood? The torture? Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?" Hermione didn't shake off his hand this time. He was guided by guilt. She drew in a deep breath and then blew it out. She finally answered him.  
"I didn't think that I could ever forgive you, Malfoy, but since you gave me such a heartfelt apology I really think that I can. As for the Manor, Bellatrix would have killed you if you had tried to stop her. I can't get the picture of you watching me scream out of my head, but I understand why you didn't help me. I really think that you need to let go of your guilt, your mistakes, and learn from them and better your life." He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile.  
"Thank you Granger. Maybe I can move on now. Make something of myself that isn't evil."

Suddenly the hand that gripped her wrist was ripped off of her. Hands wrapped around Hermione's waist and she found herself ten feet away. Red hair flashed in front her. Fred was a few feet in front of her, crouched protectively, wand out. Malfoy looked surprised, hands in the air. Hermione rushed to Fred's back, but he pushed her backwards, not letting her near Malfoy.  
"Get back, Mia, I won't let him hurt you. Floo to the shop, get George. Stay there."  
Hermione went to his back again, this time talking to him, gripping his arm.  
"Frederick, he wasn't hurting me. He was apologizing. You need to calm down and get the whole story. You're making an arse of yourself." She gave him a dirty look and walked past him. Hermione stopped and looked at Malfoy. "You got what you wanted. I assume that there is no more need for us to speak." He nodded in her direction. She walked past to the fireplace and flooed to the shop.

Stalking out of the fireplace, she flounced past George and Lee. They looked at her expectantly. "Hey 'Mione, where's our food?" She simply kept walking, ignoring them. She was in no mood to talk at the moment. As she was gathering her things she had left in the back room, she heard the roar of the fireplace. Fred was back. George and Lee were questioning him. The conversation she heard was short, low, and clipped. Hermione walked out of the back room with her head held high, headed towards the fireplace. Fred and George's heads snapped to attention as she stepped into the fireplace. Fred asked her the question she knew was coming.  
"Where are you going, Hermione? You aren't going anywhere alone." She glared at him.  
"Really? I'll go wherever I damn well please. You can't stop me." She grabbed a pinch of the floo powder, threw it in the flame, and whispered 'the Burrow'.

Shaking off the extra dust, she walked through the house. It was empty today, Molly had went to Angie's house to do extra wedding planning. Hermione threw herself on the bed. She really didn't want to be in the house. Grabbing a book and her coat, she headed down the stairs and outside. Walking towards the pond, she detoured off the path and into the woods. She had never really explored them before. Finding a nice patch of grass under a beautiful tree, she conjured a blanket to lay on. After casting a warming spell to counter the cool wind, she opened her book and began to read. She completely lost herself in the story of the young woman who lived on a prairie and fell in love with a roaming cowboy.

Hermione looked up from her book when she realized that the crickets were no longer chirping. It was starting to get dark. Sighing heavily, she got up from her blanket, marking her spot in the book and vanishing the blanket. She made her way back to the path and headed back to the Burrow to help make dinner. As she walked through the door into the kitchen, the room fell silent. It seemed that she had walked into a heated argument. A chill followed her into the room. Everyone was gathered at the table. Harry spoke first.  
"Hermione, where have you been? We've been so worried." The worry was clearly etched on his face. Hermione felt a little bit of guilt creep into her chest.  
"I've been in the woods down by the pond, reading. Why didn't anybody send me an owl? Hermes is amazing at finding people." Harry pondered a moment before answereing.  
"Well, if something had happened to you, we didn't want to anger the person any more by sending an owl. Trust me, we thought about it. Honestly, you should have left a note."  
Hermione stared at him. Her gaze traveled to all the Weasley's faces and saw the worry on their faces. The guilt grew. She sighed.  
"Ok, you're right. I should have left a note. I was angry and just wanted time away but I was still in the wards. I was completely safe. I'm sorry for worrying you all and I won't do it again." Harry smiled at her and Molly walked over to her and gave her a hug. As she walked through the room, Charlie caught her in his arms and whirled her around.  
"'Mione, if something happened to you, it would just be too boring around here. I wouldn't have anyone to pick on. You better keep yourself safe." She nodded at him with a small smile. After he wasn't looking she threw a glare at Fred. He had obviously told all of them about Malfoy.

She took her usual seat next to Fred, but brushed his hand away from her when he tried to pat her leg. He looked up at her and she gave him a cold look. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes but she ignored it. Ron had not missed this either. A look of glee was on his face. The rest of the table didn't seem to noticed it though. Ginny was the first to bring it up.  
"So, 'Mione, Fred said that you ran into Malfoy today at the Leaky Cauldron. What the bloody hell did he want?" Hermione was pushing her food around on her plate, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Ron and Harry stopped shoveling food into their mouths and looked directly at her. She looked up finally and met their gazes.  
"He asked for my forgiveness. He apologized for being horrible to me through the years, calling me 'mudblood', and not trying to stop Bellatrix from torturing me." Forks clattered to plates. Harry and Ron were instantly all over her.  
"You told him to rot in Tartarus, right, Hermione? There's no way you can forgive him!" "You told him to bugger off, right?" She stared at them both in silence. Finally Molly had to yell at them both to lay off. George was the one to speak next.  
"Can we ask what you did tell him, Hermione?" She actually smiled at him.  
"Thank you, George, for asking. I thought about it after he asked and decided that I had to forgive him." Fred started to sputter. "Why in the bloody hell do you HAVE to forgive him." She turned to him with her cold eyes and thin mouth.  
"I'll have you know, Frederick, that I have to forgive him if I want to move forward with my life. Otherwise I'll be forever in the past, reliving that horrible day, seeing his face in my dreams. So I chose to forgive him, and let it go." Harry started to nod, then spoke.  
"Hermione, you always were the smartest of us. You're pretty on point there. I'm glad that you could forgive him so you could move on." He got up from his chair and gathered her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears started to slip out of her eyes. Harry started to let go of her but she held fast, not wanting anyone to see her tears. Harry whispered in her ear, "I know that wasn't easy for you. I'm proud of you." She nodded in his shoulder. Even though he whispered it, she felt sure that the whole of the table had heard it.

When she let go of his, she was surprised that Ron was waiting at Harry's side to hug her as well. She reluctantly went into his arms. He held her tightly, but said or did nothing inappropriate. After he released her, she returned to her seat. Ginny gave her a smile, one meant for reassurance. Once the meal was over, the family disappeared and Hermione stayed to clear the table and do the dishes since she hadn't helped prepare the meal. She retired to the living room, which was empty. She turned on the new television and flipped through the few channels that they were able to get. The magic in the house didn't allow much signal. Ron appeared from the staircase seeming to head to the kitchen. After spotting Hermione, he veered into the living room.

He sat on the couch next to her. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away but he had her in an iron grip. He pulled her hand into his lap. Before she could open her mouth to complain he started to speak.  
"Mia, I'm really sorry you had to go through Malfoy on your own today. I wish that I could have been there with you. And after you forgave him, I would have given a good hit in the jaw for you. If I had been Fred, I would have hexed him right off." She jerked her hand back out of his lap as he started to laugh lightly and stood up off the couch. Her eyes were flashing with anger. Her waist length hair started to to swirl around her as she started to lose control of her emotions.  
"For one, dont' you ever call me Mia, Ronald Weasley. You obviously don't know the true meaning of forgiveness if you're wanting to hit someone after you've forgiven them. Forgiveness means that you're willing to forget what they've done to you and wipe the slate clean. As for Fred, though I'm not the happiest with his actions, at least he was more worried about my safety, not hexing someone to death. I can still see that you're the same old immature Ronald Weasley. I've grown up, I admit when I'm wrong. Harry's growing up, he's had to. When are you going to?" After her blowup, she reached over and turned the telly off, and stalked up the stairs to her room.

She threw her door open and found it empty. Fred was in the shower. After changing into her nightclothes, she crawled into bed and under the covers. Her eyes were getting heavy and Fred still hadnt come out. Next thing she realized, she felt an arm wiggling under her next and an arm pulling her waist close to him. She couldn't help but smile. Turning her head a little, she saw Fred start.  
"I didn't mean to wake you, love. I was just trying to get closer to you so you didn't get cold. Go back to sleep." She rubbed her eyes a little and shook her head.  
"No, Fred, I want to talk. I was trying to wait up but just fell asleep because you took so long." She rolled over towards him and took his hands.  
"I'm sorry for how I've acted today. I know that you were just scared and trying to protect me. I shouldn't be so independent. I know that I can count on you, I just have to learn how. I just hope that you can be patient with me as I learn how. Can you forgive me for making a fool of you and then treating you so terribly?" Fred reached up and stroked her cheek. He pulled her into his chest.  
"Of course I can, Mia. I love you. But can I tell you why I acted like I did so you understand?" She smiled slightly at him and nodded.  
"Picture that you're working at the shop, just you. All of a sudden you turn the corner and I'm lying on the floor in a pool of blood. You take me to St. Mungos and I pass out, where I don't wake up for two days. Once I wake up, you discover I was taken by a pyschotic Death Eater and tortured for hours, and cut to pieces. After that, you do nothing but worry about me. Then, you walk into the Leaky Cauldron and see me face to face with the his hand around my wrist, the very person who watched me tortured the first time. How would you feel?" Hermione looked at him sheepishly. "Like I would want to jump in and save you. I see your point completely Fred. I really wasn't thinking. I was just a little emotional because he asked for forgiveness and then you were there all of a sudden. I'm really sorry." He smiled at her and smoothed her hair. "I'm very proud of you, love. You forgave Malfoy, one of the people you have reason to hate the rest of your life. That's a real step to moving on and giving up the horrible past, like you said. It must have been hard. I wish I could have been there with you, atleast to hold your hand." Hermione let out a laugh. "That's exactly what Ron told me downstairs. He told me he wished he could have been there for me, and then punched Malfoy in the jaw for me after I forgave him. I told him he didn't understand the meaning of forgiveness if he still wanted to punch him after I forgave him." Fred gave a small laugh. "That's Ron for you." He pulled Hermione back up against him, relishing the feel of her tiny form against him. She stroked his arm softly and he left a trail of kisses down her neck to her shoulder. He whispered in her ear softly.  
"Go to sleep, Mia. You've had a rough day." She moaned softly, already half asleep.  
He wrapped his arm around her waist and cupped her breast in his hand. She sighed contentedly in her sleep. He smiled at the sound and buried his face in her neck. He swore to himself as he fell asleep that no matter how angry she got he would always protect the angel he held in his arms.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Boom! Another chapter down (: And who would have guessed that Malfoy felt terrible...and would apologize? Anyways...hope y'all liked it! Leave me some reviews guys! Thanks, as always ((:


	29. Chapter 29

A/N- Well I hope that y'all liked that last chapter...I wasn't the most pleased with it but it worked. This chapter is a bit more action filled. Just a smidge though (: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The usual. I own nothing. Except the plot and Christine Smith, the usual...

Chapter 29 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 13, 1998

There was still an hour left of the work day but Fred was ready to call it quits. He had taken over the register for Hermione an hour before when Ginny had shown up to head into muggle London to get videos for that evening (and he suspected muggle liquor as well). It had been hard to concentrate since then, so he had agreed to take the register and let George finish up on the Extendable Ears. He had wished that the girls would have waited for him to get off work to go with them, but neither of them would have allowed that. He would see them soon enough at the Burrow, to get ready for George's stag night and Angelina's hen night.

George came out from the back room and leaned on the front counter. There weren't many customers in the store today. At least, to say, anymore. Fred looked over at his twin. The excitement was plain on his face. He was dragging all the men in his family to some 'exclusive' muggle nightclub and said that he was excited for a 'night out with his twin'. Not that Fred minded, but he knew that it would be difficult for everyone to remain civil once there was liquor on board. He knew the Weasley temper all too well. "Looking forward to tonight, Georgie?" Fred asked him. He nodded enthusiastically.  
"Hell yes I am. We're going to have a right sight more fun than Angie and the girls are going to have. Who would want to stay in and watch movies?" Fred cracked a lopsided grin as he checked out a little boy. "Well I reckon that Gin and Mia probably scared Angie last time they went out. From the looks of that video thing, they got a bit crazy." George laughed. "You're probably right, Freddie. I can see Gin getting wild and crazy. I have to admit that I was completely surprised to see Hermione get crazy like that though. She just seems a little too uptight sometimes. So you have to come clean to your favoritest twin. What's she like in the sack? And don't try to telling me you haven't got your leg over, Ron caught you. Was she a virgin?" George pleaded with him. Fred raised his eyebrows at him. Before he could deny him, George spoke again. "Come on, I told you all about Angie and me!" Fred couldn't help but laugh.  
"I didn't ask about you and Angie, you volunteered it." George gave him a pained look. Fred relented a little. "Fine. I won't tell you anything. You can ask questions and I'll only answer yes or no. And if you ever tell, I'll hex your bits off." George smiled again and began.  
"Was she a virgin?" Fred closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yes."  
"Does she give blow jobs?" Same reaction. "Yes." George was grinning widely.  
"Is she any good at them?" Fred grinned now. "She's amazing."  
"Is she good in the sack?" Stupid grin still. "Yup."  
"Is she super tight since she was a virgin?" Fred could feel himself turning red. "Yes."  
"You lucky do-" George was cut off as a woman with a teenage daughter approached the counter and Fred kicked him behind the counter.

After seeing out the last of the customers, Fred, George, Lee, Dean, and Seamus saw to sweeping the floors, restocking the shelves, and counting down the register. Fred and George both took the money to Gringotts, having the goblins deliver it to the business' vault, and then apparated to the Burrow. Once they arrived, they discovered that they were in fact the last to do so. Molly, Ginny, and Hermione had been holding dinner for their arrival. They all sat down and enjoyed the delicious cooking. During conversation, he discovered that Hermione and Ginny did purchase muggle liquor and had made his mum promise to drink some with them at the hen party. She seemed somewhat excited at the prospect, which surprised him. His mum had never been much of a drinker. His father was going along with all the men to stay sober, to make sure that they were all able to apparate back home. They were clearing up the table as Angelina arrived, followed closely by Bill and Fleur, then Christine and Lavender.

Arthur stood up from the table, smacking it with his hands. "Well, Weasleys, are we ready?" George bounced out of his seat. Fred leaned over and kissed Hermione sweetly, cupping her face with one hand as he did so. She clutched the front of Fred's shirt, a faded blue button-up, as he did so. Harry pecked Ginny as he laughed at her. "Don't you girls get in any trouble round here." She swatted him smartly on the arm as he was departing. The Weasley men and Harry walked to the apparition point and linked hands, letting George take the lead. He apparated them to an alley next to the muggle nightclub that he wanted to go to. The front was covered in neons and seemed very busy. The men payed the cover and filed in, finding seats at the bar.

Once seated, they all ordered drinks except Arthur, who ordered soda. They all ordered scotch, except Harry, who ordered gin. Fred looked on curiously at the clear liquor. Harry looked up and caught him looking. "Can I try it, mate? I've only ever tried scotch." Harry shoved his glass towards him. Fred took a ginger sip. It wasn't too bad. "Not too shabby." Harry smiled at him. They all sat at the bar, drinking in happy conversation, for awhile. Before long they started talking about things they generally disagreed upon. Certain politics, favorite foods. Then things got a little more serious and the stray Death Eaters were brought up. Somewhat loudly. Arthur had to hush Ron as muggles were passing by.

Charlie began to complain about the barstools hurting his arse so they decided to get a table out on the floor. They all gathered round the table, Fred overjoyed he ended up next to Ron. The waittress came and brought them another round of drinks. Fred could feel the liquor in his head. George was laughing with Charlie next to him. Arthur seemed to be discussing with Percy, who seemed to be somewhat sober. As soon as the joke was over with Charlie, George turned to Fred and loudly asked him what he thought all the girls were up to. Fred told him that Ginny and Hermione had went to buy videos and muggle liquor so that's probably what they were doing. Ron got a faraway look on his face but didn't say anything.

As soon as the waittress delivered their next round of drinks, the lights went out and colored lights started flashing on a stage in the corner that they previously hadn't noticed. A classic rock song came on and a woman in her early twenties with luscious curves and long blond hair came out on stage wearing only a bright pink bra and g-string panty set. She started dancing to song, shaking her breasts, gyrating her hips. The Weasley men were dumbstruck but couldn't tear their eyes away. At the half-way point of the song, she took her bra off and threw it on the floor of the stage. She flashed a glittering smile into the crowd. Fred looked over at George and he was staring at the blond with rapt attention as was Ron. Harry finally had the decency to look away and caught his eye. His father looked away next. The song went on another minute and then the crowd went wild. Arthur excused himself to the loo, mostly out of embarrassment. Ron, however, got a look on his face and excused himself and went up to the stage. The music started again and the dancer approached their table.

"Hi, I'm Mystique, and I hear you're getting married." She sat herself on George's lap, in nothing but a g-string and began to gyrate on his erect manhood. Ron sat back down in his seat with a wide grin on his face. George's face was right between the dancer's breasts, getting body glitter all over him. As the song ended, she reached down and gave him a lingering kiss on the mouth. The music began and she stands and sits back down abruptly on Fred's lap and starts rubbing her breasts on his shirt. She instantly catchs his mouth in a deep kiss, clouding his mind for a moment. He thinks of Hermione though, and pulls her away roughly. Mystique is offended and climbs off of him but not before littering him with glitter and leaving the scent of her perfume on his skin behind. Harry and George see the murderous look on his face first. "What the fuck was that, Ron? Did you do that on purpose?" He had stood and didn't remember it.  
"Well, kind of. I told her I wanted to buy dances for the groom and his best man, that they were twins. I didn't realize you were going to get so mad." Fred didn't believe it. He spun on George. "And what the fuck is wrong with you? Why didn't you shove her off? What's Angie gonna say when you get back to the Burrow and you're covered in glitter and reek of perfume?" George groaned.  
"I don't know...because I wasn't thinking. She was just so bloody gorgeous."

Arthur arrived back at this opportune moment, Bill pointing out the minor argument between twins. He shot a worried glance at them, raising his eyebrows. George looked at the rest of the table with a worried look on his face. Fred joined him. The whole table looked worried, truth be told. The Weasley women, and Hermione for that matter, were not known to be forgiving nor gentle, and would frown upon this experience. George decided that he wouldn't be able to drink anymore without worrying and stated everyone else's wishes. "Lets just go home." They all paid their tabs, left a tip, pushed in their chairs and left the club. Finding the same alley they had arrived in, they grasped hands, let Arthur take the lead, and disapparated to the Burrow.

When entering into the kitchen, they saw Ginny and Angelina on their knees. Ginny was painting Hermione's toes and Angelina was painting Molly's toes. Percy pushed through and went on upstairs to bed. Fleur was sipping water but all the other girls were drinking glasses of orange juice, apparently mixed with vodka, even Molly. Once the men appeared, Lavender rose to her feet. "Well, I must go. My mum's expecting me. Walk me to the point, Ronnie?" Ron smiled at her and walked off with her, everyone cringing at her giggling as they walked out the door. Christine rose much more gracefully. "I, too, must return home. Thank you, ladies, for a lovely time." She smiled at them. They all waved their goodbyes to her and Charlie followed her out. He could be heard telling Ron to get a room. Ginny and Angelina had finished their homemade pedicure, and the men realized that they and Fleur were sporting one as well.

Molly was obviously a little drunk. "Arthur, you're going to just love this television video player. These videos are so much fun. The girls picked out romances and they're the best stories! And this liquor! It's so much better than firewhiskey, it doesn't burn at all. This is my fourth glass! The girls have had more but I just can't keep up. Did you boys have fun? " Harry flopped himself on the couch and tried to keep the conversation light. "Well I discovered that I am the only one that drinks gin. They all drink muggle scotch." They all laughed nervously. Ron slipped in and sat on the floor. Everyone else stayed huddled at the door. Hermione flashed a smile at Fred and patted the seat next to her. They all heard the door slam as Charlie came in and slunk up the stairs for bed. Almost hanging his head knowing what was to come, he took a seat next to Hermione. She took his hand in hers and laid her head against his shoulder. All of a sudden, she stiffened up.  
"Fred, what's that smell? That's not my perfume. " She lifted her head and looked down at him. Her eyes widened and her mouth went into the shaped of an O.  
"Frederick, is that body glitter? Did you get a lap dance?" She flung his hand back into his lap. He squeezed his eyes shut. She flew to her feet, hands on hips. Ginny went to her feet as well, but with wand drawn. "Harry James Potter, you better tell me what's going on right now! I mean it! Her eyes were narrowed and her hair seemed to be fluttering around an invisible breeze. He held his hands up, terrified his wife had turned her wand on him. Her hexes were legendary. Bill, George, and Arthur still hadn't completely entered the living room.  
"Err, we went to this club none of us had ever gone to before and were just sitting around drinking and talking. We were all laughing and getting along for the most parts. All of a sudden the place goes dark except for this light on this stage that none of us had even noticed. This muggle girl came out in a thong and bra and started dancing. Halfway through she took her bra off and finished out the song. Ron got up and bought George and then Fred a dance for being groom and best man." Fred groaned inwardly. He should have just told the story. Hermione looked at him now, her face impassive.  
"Explain." The one word she spoke was ice cold. He nodded.  
"I couldn't help but watch while she was dancing in her bra and knickers. But when she took her bra off, I looked away, you can ask Harry. We looked at other. She did try to give me a dance, love, but when she started kissing me, I made her stop. She couldn't have been on me for more than ten seconds." When he finished, he looked up at her. There were tears tracking silently down her face, betrayal flitting through her eyes. Her arms were crossed across her chest. Their reactions were suspended by Angie's hoarse voice.  
"Am I to assume, George, that you didn't stop her?" George looked down, and shook his head. Fred saw her wipe her cheek, gather her things and stride into the kitchen. George followed after her, but he heard her tell him to sod off. George didn't return. Fred saw Hermione furiously dash away the tears on her cheek but more replaced them. After she had gotten ahold of herself, she looked him in the eye.  
"I can't believe you would do this to me, Fred. I thought that I meant something to you." He started to sputter a response when her hand met his face in a sharp crack. The force was enough to snap his neck to the opposite side. He heard a sharp pop as her wrist popped when she hit him. "Don't talk to me, and don't even think about coming to bed tonight. Go to hell for all I care." She made to stalk out of the room but stopped at Ron. She drew back with the same hand that was already stinging and made to slap him as well. He saw it coming and caught her wrist. She swung just as fast with the opposite and caught him on the face. Stunned, he held his cheek as she held her wrist where he had grabbed it.  
"This is mostly your fault. For someone who claims to 'love' me, you must sure like to see me cry. To see me hurt. To betray me. I hope you're happy knowing that not only are Fred and I arguing, so are George and Angelina. All because you were thoughtless. You should have asked and let them make the decision. If they said yes, then your conscience could be clear." Ron glared at her as she walked out of the room and they heard her move up the stairs to her room. Ginny looked at Harry. "We're not done here, but go on home. I'm going to stay the night with Hermione. I don't know if she should be alone." Harry nodded his head. Harry got up and headed towards the fireplace to floo rather than apparate. Ginny aimed her wand at Ron, shooting a well aimed hex at him, covering him in bat bogeys. Before anyone could blink, she did the same to Fred and was out the door before either could draw their wands. They heard her slam the door to her old room.

Once they heard Harry floo away, Fleur rose from the chair. She waltzed past Bill and shot him a dirty look. He made to turn and follow her, but she looked back at him and spoke. "Oh Bill, feel free to stay 'ere. If I'm not good enough to be the only girl you look at without any clothes, I'm not good enough to sleep with tonight." She walked into the floo and flooed back to Shell Cottage. Bill sighed heavily and started to drag his feet up the stairs to his room. Arthur shook his head at the exchange. He finally looked up at his wife and noticed that there were tears falling down her cheeks. He went to put his arms around her shoulders but she held up her hand in front of her with a murderous look in her eye as well. "Arthur, not only did you disrespect me, you did it in front of your children and you were a poor role model. I couldn't even say anything to those boys about them needing to be more like their father because you were no better. I am so disappointed in you. And I'm so hurt. You can have the couch tonight." Arthur stepped back and nodded, tears forming in his own eyes at hearing that she was disappointed in him. At failing their children. She walked out of the room, heading up the stairs.

After Fred had showered the bat bogeys off, he went and made his bed up in George's room. They sat up and talked about what gits they were and how terrible they felt. Fred gave George the rundown on what had happened after he had left, with Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny. He had heard Bill come up so he assumed Fleur had told him to sod off too. They spitballed ideas for awhile on how to get Angie and Hermione to forgive them. Finally, Fred couldn't take not knowing.

He crept through the loo and cracked the door into Hermione's room. She was in her bed and Ginny was with her. They had fallen asleep with Hermione's head in Ginny's lap, obviously crying, and Ginny sitting up, leaned against the wall. He walked up to the bed and saw the tear tracks had stained Hermione's face. Remorse flooded his being like a river. He gently shook Ginny's shoulder and as soon as her eyes fluttered open, he held a finger to his lips. She understood when she realized that they had both fallen asleep. He lifted Hermione's upper body and she was able to slide out from undernead and next to her. While Ginny crawled into her old bed, he pressed a kiss onto Hermione's cheek. A stray tear slid out onto her cheek. His heart broke. He thumbed it away. Tucking the blankets around her, he waved to Ginny as he stole back out of her room. Crawling back into his own bed, he sighed. He knew that sleep would be a long time coming tonight.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` So, what you guys think? A chapter completely from Fred's point of view...thoughts? This was sooo not how I planned for this chapter to go but it's how it came out when I wrote it so I went with it. Plus, if I do it this way, you get an extra chapter outta me (: Anyways, you know what to do! Leave me some reviews ((:


	30. Chapter 30

A/N- Eeeeks, sorry for that last chapter...went with my intuition. Hope you all don't hate me too much! Anyways, I want to thank everyone that has followed, favorited, or reviewed this story (: It means bunches! Look at me get off track...on with the show...

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and Christine Smith. Same old thing.

Chapter 30 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 14, 1998

The sun shone through the window of her room, gleaming off the frost clinging to the outside of the glass. Hermione had been awake for what had felt like hours, replaying the night before in her mind. She had been hurt, desperately hurt. Now she was angry. She really didn't feel that she could be around Fred today without losing control. An idea came to her suddenly, and since it was Sunday, Harry would be able to accompany her.

She jumped out of bed excitedly now, showering off quickly. Ginny had always been a hard sleeper, merely rolling over to the sounds of Hermione getting ready. After she had dressed and charmed herself ready, she scrawled a note to Ginny telling her where she was going and that she was making Harry go with her, leaving it on her pillow.

Hermione pulled a pinch of floo powder out of the pot and climbed into the fireplace, murmuring "Grimmauld Place" under her breath. Once she had spun to her destination and brushed the soot from her clothes, she stepped out of the grates and into the sitting room of Grimmauld Place. She walked into the kitchen and started water boiling for tea before heading up the stairs. Reaching Harry and Ginny's bedroom door, she knocked, receiving no answer. Hermione knocked again and yelled, still receiving no answer. Sighing loudly, she opened the door a crack and peered in. Harry was in the bed, buried under a mountain of blankets. Throwing the door open the rest of the way, she strode in and peered down at him. All that was visible was his face and the tops of his bare shoulders. Another idea struck Hermione and a grin spread across her face. After moving Harrys wand across the room, she walked around to Ginny's side of the bed and slipped her shoes off. Stepping up onto the bed, she walked as close as she dared to Harry without waking him. All of a sudden, she started jumping up and down on the bed as hard as she could, sending Harry bouncing. He awoke with a yell, reaching for his wand, look of terror on his face. After falling out of bed and landing painfully on his hip, he looked up and saw that it was Hermione.

Hermione flung herself on the bed laughing, stitches in her side. Harry crawled back up on the bed rubbing his hip, glaring at her. "What the bloody hell was that for, 'Mione? What did I ever do to you? Besides, where's Ginny?" Hermione was still giggling too much to answer. Harry was shooting daggers with his eyes. After a few more minutes of giggles, she finally got herself under control. "Gin's still at the Burrow asleep. I'm sorry I scared you like that but I couldn't resist. I knocked twice and yelled at you but you wouldn't wake up. I had to move your wand so you wouldn't jinx me." Harry scowled at her and flopped back onto his back and made to crawl back under the blankets. Hermione grabbed his hand and dragged him back up to a sitting position. "Nope, get up. I want you to come with me. Nobody at the Burrow was up so I decided to come get you." He looked at her indignantly. "Nobody there was up so you decide to wake me up? How fair is that?" She laughed. "Harry, you're my best friend, my brother. Who better to come with me to get the rest of my stuff from my parents old house?" He sighed and gave in. "Fine, fine. Get out and let me get dressed and then we'll go get your bloody clothes." Hermione squealed and threw her arms around him before hurrying out of the room.

She had the tea and some toast ready for the both of them by the time he trudged down the stairs, still looking slightly grumpy. Neither mentioned the night before of any of the occupants of the Burrow, although Harry was wondering how long she would remain mad at Fred. After rinsing the dishes off for Kreacher, they walked out into the yard and apparated to the house where Hermione had resided with her parents.  
"Harry, did Kingsley ever have anyone check the house for dark magic?" Hermione asked him nervously.  
"He never really said either way. We never asked him to so I doubt it. We should probably keep our eyes open. Please tell me you told someone that we were coming here." Hermione nodded.  
"I left a note for Ginny telling her that I was going to have you come with me to get the rest of my stuff. I guess if we don't show up eventually they'll know where we're at." "Good thinking. Shall we?" She nodded and started forward cautiously.

When they entered the house they drew their wands. The house was deserted, but for lone gauzy curtains blowing in the breeze from an opened window. The slight musty smell of wet carpet met them as they walked further into the house. Hermione glanced into the kitchen and was assaulted with memories from her childhood. Baking cookies with her mother, afternoon tea with her father, reading at the table after school...they flashed by, one by one. Tears pricked her eyes. Her mothers smiling face was frozen in her mind before it turned to flames, her screaming in agony. Hermione started at the image, so real in her mind. Harry looked at her in worry.  
"You alright, 'Mione?" She chewed on her lower lip, nodding with a faraway look in her eyes. "Let's just get this done." Hermione lowered her wand and strode off in the direction of her old room, down the hallway to the right.

She removed the wards that she had placed on her door, keeping both her parents out and went in, finding her room just as she had left it. A wave of nostalgia hit her but no disturbing images. She stood still in the middle of her room, remembering times past. Harry stayed in the doorway watching her, waiting for tears. There were none, just the same faraway look. He recognized the smell of the room as the smell that always followed Hermione though, the smell of books, parchment, and of peaches. After all this time it hadn't faded. He let her reminisce for awhile, but then walked in and gave her a hug. She clutched at him like a drowing person to a raft and he supposed that she was drowning, but in memories. After a few minutes, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Neither said anything. Both just simply started to work, vanishing her clothes back to the Burrow. She vanished a few of her trinkets, some of her books, and her old diaries. With the last once over, Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room.

Walking down the hall, Hermione remembered playing tag with her father through the house, laughing as he would chase her through the hallway. Her childlike face flashed through her mind, looking back at her father running after her laughing suddenly turned to screams, a large vertical rip along his torso appearing. His entrails spilled out. He stopped abruptly in her mind, trying to catch his insides, a look of horror on his face. Laughter could be heard in the recesses of her mind. Her father fell to his knees. The vision vanished but not before Hermione started screaming. She jerked her hand out of Harry's and placed both of her hands on either side of her head, trying to grind out the vision of her father. Harry paniced.  
"Hermione, what's wrong? What's happening? Talk to me!" She couldn't speak, just continued to scream, wanting the image out of her head. The thought of her mother's face burning came back to her and immediately she realized what it all meant. She knew they were dead, and this is how they had died. Her charms hadn't been enough. Hysteria was breaking through the screams now. Harry was now terrified. He picked up her dropped wand, wrapped his arms around her, and disapparated.

The pair landed with a crash on the ground at the Burrow. Hysterical screams were echoing off the buildings at the Burrow. Harry struggled with a thrashing Hermione, who was still holding her head, when the door opened and Weasleys poured out the door looking alarmed. Molly and Ginny raced towards them, concern on their faces. Everyone had their wands drawn. Fred quickly followed his mother and sister, unabandoned fear in his eyes. Ginny reached them first, throwing her wand on the ground "Harry, what happened? What's wrong with her?" He shook his head. Molly and Fred reached her at the same time. "I have no idea. We were getting ready to leave, we were walking down the hallway to walk out of the house, and all of sudden she let go of my hand and grabbed her head and started screaming. She wouldn't talk. Then she started getting hysterical. I don't know what's wrong with her. She seemed fine going through the first time...a little quiet, but fine." Molly looked at the group that was standing a few paces back. "Someone go get some of the Calming Draught that St. Mungos sent home with her when she was there last...and hurry!" George turned and sprinted back towards the door and used the summoning spell from there. It took only a few seconds from there for it to fly into his outstretched hand.

After dribbling a teaspoons amount in her mouth, they waited for the potion to take effect. A few minutes later, Hermione quieted, her breathing slowing. She kept her head down but moved her hands down to cover her face and cry. Harry pulled her up and into his shoulder, wrapping his arms around her. He smoothed her hair as she cried, rocking her back and forth. Everyone but Ginny and Fred went back inside, giving her some privacy. Hermione finally sat up, but drew her knees to her chest. Ginny spoke first.  
"Hermione, what happened?" At this, fresh tears began to leak out of her eyes and she pressed her face into her knees. Fred finally spoke.  
Ginny, no more questions. She'll tell us when she's ready. Til then, lets just get her upstairs." Ginny shot him a dark look but agreed. Fred and Harry both helped her stand, and she shakily made her way into the house and up the stairs to her room. Fred and Ginny went downstairs to get her tea and toast to calm her stomach, leaving her with Harry. He watched her warily climb into bed.  
"I don't want to talk about it right now, Harry. Just tell me about something else to get my mind off of it." Harry nodded. "Ok, I know you're hurt about last night but I think you should forgive Fred. He didn't know that girl would be dancing. Yeah, he watched until she took her bra off, but when I quit he had already taken his eyes off of her. He also didn't buy those dances, Ron did. When that girl sat on him and kissed him, he pulled her back and shoved her off of him. Not many guys could have done that with a half naked girl sitting on their lap. He obviously loves you, it wouldn't surprise me if he always has. I always suspected he had a thing for you, just kept quiet because of Ron. You have a right to be mad but he also didn't really do anything wrong except not get up and leave. If you're going to be mad, be mad for that because the rest, he did all right." Hermione sat up. "Are you actually taking his side in this? Saying I should forgive him?"  
He shook his head. "I'm not saying forgive him for everything. He should have got up and left. I should have. We all should have. You think I'm not in deep shit? Ginny's gonna hex my bits off! But when that girl took her top off, he looked away. When she crawled on him, he shoved her off. That speaks mountains, 'Mione, more than what you're even looking at. I think you should forgive those things, because he did nothing wrong. Be mad at him for what he did wrong." She laid back down with a thoughtful look on her face. "I make no promises, Harry, but I'll think about what you said." He nodded and made to leave. Her eyes were drooping.

Hermione woke up some time later to only Fred at her side, his head in his hands. At first she thought he was asleep because he was so still but when she shifted her head to the side he lifted his head to check on her. He reached down, claiming her hand with his own.  
"Thank Merlin you're awake. You had a few nightmares but you didn't wake. I was hoping that you weren't having another." She gave him a weak smile. "I'm glad that I don't remember them. They would have been horrible. Must have been the potion. I usually remember my nightmares." He gave her hand a squeeze. She lowered her eyes, thinking about what Harry had said to her. Gathering her Gryffindor courage, she took a leap. "Fred, I want to talk to you about last night." He gave a deep sigh and let go of her hand before she could do anything and rubbed his face with both hands.  
"Mia, look, I'm sorry about all of it. I should have just left when I realized what was going on. It would have saved us a huge amount of heartbreak right now. I really did push that girl off of me though. I didn't want her on me, and I didn't want to kiss her. I wish you would believe that. And right now, I'll quit talking to you but I'm not leaving. So you -" She cut him off.  
"Fred, will you just shut up for a minute? I was going to tell you that I talked to Harry about it some, as embarrassing as that was, and he told me that I really didn't have a reason to be mad at you except for not leaving. You did everything right. And after I thought about it, he's right. I just thought about you with a naked girl on your lap, kissing you and I was so hurt. I agree that you should have left. Since you apologized, I will accept it and forgive you. I can't guarantee that I will forget but I forgive you." A grin broke out on his face and he gathered her up in his arms. "I don't even want to go to a muggle bar again. I'm ok with firewhiskey. Leaky Cauldron for me." She laughed in his ear.

As she lay back down, she sighed. Her parents images were coming back to her. Not with the intensity as before but she would remember them forever. Crushing guilt weighed upon her. Her charms were not enough to save them. She knew they were dead. She would have to see if Kingsley could track them and discover their fates. Fred saw the trouble in her eyes and grasped her hands once more.  
"Anything I can do to help, love?" She rolled towards him with tears in her eyes. "I saw them, Freddie. I saw how they died." He looked at her confused. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I saw my mother in the kitchen. I saw us baking cookies, her running her hands down my hair. Then I saw her face in my mind smiling, then she burst into flames, screaming. I brushed it off, thinking it was just my imagination. Harry and I went and got my things and as we were leaving, I was thinking about how my father and I would play tag through the hall and I saw myself as a child turn around and see him be sliced open from the bottom of his ribs to his groin, his innards spilling out. He tried to catch them. He fell to his knees after that, screaming. I started screaming as I realized that they were dead and that was how they died. Those bastards must have spelled the place to show me how they killed them, that's all I can think. My charms weren't enough to save them. It's my fault they're dead." Fred saw hysteria in the horizon again and pulled her into his arms again.  
"Mia, you don't know that. They could have spelled the house with those images just to torment you. They like to inflict pain and suffering. If they thought that they could make you suffer just a little bit, they would do it in a heartbeat. We'll ask Kingsley to look, don't start assigning guilt until we know. Ok?" She nodded into his chest, calming noticably.

Fred stroked her hair for a long time after her breathing had become even, signaling she had fallen asleep once more. The images she said that she had seen troubled him, and he feared that what she said was true. He felt in his heart that her parents were dead, maybe not in the way that she had been shown but were dead nonetheless. The Death Eaters wouldn't have known what they looked like otherwise. He sighed deeply, ruffling her hair slighly. They would cross one bridge at a time. Getting concrete information from Kingsley would be the first step. Heaviness settled on his heart as he held her tight, giving into the drowsiness that had plagued him since the night before.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````Phew! Ok, what do you guys think? This didn't quite turn out how I wanted, but even after editing, it didn't get much better. Hope you aren't too disappointed! Whatcha think happened? Dead or alive? Anyways...let me know in a review ((: Thanks y'all!


	31. Chapter 31

A/N- Ok, guys, I understand that things may be getting a touch confusing now so if y'all have any questions, feel free to ask in a review or in a PM...but I'm hoping that I am doing a good enough job explaining things! I have a couple things up my sleeves in chapters to come, but if you have any events that you would like to see happen, let me know. I make no promises, but would love suggestions! I am always up for a challenge (: Anways, onward...

Disclaimer: I own only Christine Smith and parts of the plot that you may not recognize...you know the drill.

Chapter 31 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 17, 1998

The din around her at the Weasley table would have been deafening any other day under any other circumstances. Today, however, Hermione wasn't paying attention to the arguing and snarky comments flying around her. Her head was bent to the parchment before her, hair falling in a curtain around her hiding the task at hand. She chewed on her lower lip nervously, trying to figure out how to word the letter to Kingsley without sounding like a nutter. Hermione glanced up and caught a brief sympathetic gaze from Charlie. After she had told Fred what had happened at her parents house, he had eventually told his family. She had feared that they would think she was insane, but she needn't have worried. They all gave her space and support, George and Charlie going out of their way to make her laugh. Arthur agreed with her decision to contact Kingsley and see if he would investigate the situation further. Molly had simply taken her aside the next evening and told her that if she needed to talk, she would always be available, and that she understood how it felt to witness traumatizing things. She explained watching her twin brothers duel five Death Eaters when she was younger before they were killed, leaving her an only child. Hermione had given her a hug, thanked her, and said she would keep her offer in mind before rushing off to cry at the thought of watching your brothers die together at Death Eaters hands. She shook her head slightly now, clearing the thoughts that were clouding her mind, and jotted out a note.

Minister Shacklebolt,

I would like to ask if you could please do me a favor? Before Harry, Ron, and I left on the horcrux hunt, I obliviated my parents memories, making them think that their names were Wendell and Monica Wilkins and were to move to Austrailia. I had decided that I was not going to track them down and return their memories, as it is a risky charm and it wouldn't be fair to them. However, upon returning to my childhood home for my things, I believe that I had a curse set upon me and saw their deaths. If you could use your contacts within the Ministry to check into their well-being in Austrailia, just for my peace of mind, I would greatly appreciate it. If you can't, of course, I understand as well, and will find other means of investigation. Please let me know either way. Thank you once again.

Yours,  
Hermione Granger

Hermione reread what she had wrote and folded it up. Attaching it to Hermes' leg, she fed him a piece of her toast. After sending him on his way, she tuned back in to the bickering at the table. Charlie and George were arguing good naturedly over quidditch teams and Ron was whining to Arthur about the training that he had to do for the auror program that day. Percy was reading the Daily Prophet in silence. Molly was arguing with Fred over whether or not he needed a haircut. Hermione had to admit to herself that it was a nice change to the quiet table that she had grown up with. She missed her parents, but she had always wanted siblings. She sat alone in her thoughts, pushing her food around her plate, until Molly broke through her reverie.

"Fred, George, are you two ready to go? We're going to be late meeting Angie and you know how much she hates when we're late. George, you're still not on the best of terms with her." George looked up guiltily and nodded. Fred leaned over and pressed a kiss to Hermione's temple, fingering her hair at the same time.  
"I don't have to go if you don't want me to. Mum can do my final fitting. I can come to the shop with you."

She smiled at him sweetly. "Freddie, this is for your twins wedding. Go and do the traditional thing with him. It'll be fun. I'll be fine, I know how to do the wards. I'll apparate straight there and Dean and Seamus are meeting me there. You'll both be there for lunch. Now go, before your mum has a heart attack." She gave him a quick kiss and shoved him towards the door. Picking up her plate and heading towards the sink with it, she was aware that everyone in the room was probably worried about her opening the shop by herself. However, she was completely confident that everything would be fine. After Fred and George showed her the wards they used, they were very simple to put in place and remove. The store would only be without the Weasley charm for a few hours.

Hermione received a kiss on the cheek from all the Weasley men (which she didn't mind, surprisingly) and walked out the kitchen door to the apparition point. After making a final check on her appearance, she turned on the spot with a pop and landed in Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Humming one of her favorite muggle songs to herself, she went about setting up the store for the day. When it came time for Dean and Seamus to arrive, she lowered the wards and unlocked the doors. The comical pair came through the door a handful of minutes later, laughing at some joke they had just shared. Seamus was currently planning his own wedding to the Ravenclaw twin, Padma Patil, with whom he was clearly smitten and Dean was taking the mickey out of him for it. When Hermione was spotted, they turned a light shade of pink and dropped the subject, heading towards the back to get their nametags and get started working.

Customers started trickling through the doors she had left unlocked and Hermione was glad for the distraction that they provided. Since the disturbing visions of her parents, she had tried to keep busy to keep them from replaying in her mind. She, Dean, and Seamus worked steadily for an hour or so, in high spirits, laughing with one another when the occasion arose. She was checking out a wizard with an American accent when the bell above the door dinged. A streak of blond hair caught her eye as she tried to pay attention to the young man in front of her tell her how amazing wizarding Britain was. She glanced over as the wizard finally picked up his purchases to leave and saw Draco Malfoy staring at her while wandering down the aisle closest to her. The breath she was taking in froze in her chest.

Hermione looked away before she could pay attention to what he was looking at. For some reason, fear was threatening to overtake her and she had faced much worse. She forced herself to take a deep breath and screwed a smile onto her face as an older witch walked up to her with her arms full of of products to purchase. Hermione forced small talk with the witch, talking about the woman's children in Hogwarts, the weather, and her home in Wiltshire, while she checked her out, always keeping an eye on the blond wizard. She noticed that Dean and Seamus had moved to the front of the store to stock shelves but had taken no notice to who the wizard shopping twenty feet from them was. A moment of panic gripped her as she looked up and Malfoy was gone. Her heart lurched in her chest. She knew that it was foolish to hold fear for a man who was clearly repentant, but her logical mind knew that it would take time for fear to dissipate. A witch with three young children were in front on her with purchases in their arms. She smiled at them, commenting to all the children how adorable they were. The young mother gushed to her how thankful she was to Hermione for her efforts in the war. Hermione blushed and tried to brush the woman's comments off, as they weren't the first she had received, but she kept on about how it was an honor to meet her and her husband would be excited to hear that his wife had met a real war hero. The young witch thanked her again for her contribution as she was leaving, and Hermione couldn't help but be grateful. The last thing she needed today were reminders of bad memories.

As she watched the last child follow the witch out, she didn't notice the blond wizard set his purchase on the counter at her elbow. He waited patiently until she turned his way, causing her to jump when she noticed his presense. When she turned and saw him standing there, close enough to touch her, she jumped backwards involuntarily, hand to her chest, almost falling on her backside. She was trying to catch her breath, not panic, especially that the few customers were clear in the back of the store, but was failing. He simply didn't wait for her to gather her composure.

"You don't like the notoriety you have gained as a 'war hero', do you?" He looked at her quizzically. She felt like her breasts were still heaving up and down trying to catch her breath but she didn't dare look as to draw attention to them.

"No. I don't. I simply did what I felt I had to do. I went with my best friends and we kept each other safe. I didn't do it for notoriety, I did it because it was right and I wanted to help my friend defeat Voldemort." She tried not to sound cold but that's exactly how it came out. Her eyes finally came up to meet his but they weren't looking at her face. They were roaming over her figure. She felt herself give a shiver of disgust. His eyes finally reached her face and he gave her a smile.

"That's why everyone loves you, Granger. You're the Gryffindor Princess. Everything for the cause, never selfish." She lifted her chin.

"That's right. I would never dream of being anything but a Gryffindor. I can't imagine gaining anything for selfish reasons during a war." She couldn't believe that he was trying to insult her. He smiled at her again, almost gently.

"Granger, I'm not trying to insult you. I'm jealous. I wish I could be more like you, not be so damn selfish. You've inspired me to become a better person. I've donated so much money to rebuilding the devastation left behind after this bloody war. I just wish that I could have made these decisions before I made the decisions to cause the destruction in the first place." He looked down at the object on the counter somewhat embarrassed by his speech. Hermione reached forward and tentatively touched his hand.

"That's a great step, Malfoy. Keep going. But don't try to be like me. I'm far from perfect." She moved to start checking out the love potion that he had put on the counter to purchase.  
"I've made plenty of mistakes in my life. Hell, I'm still making them. My life is far from a fairy tale. You just have to be yourself, and then strive to be the best that you can be. Whoever your match is will be happy with you and will love you." She gave him a genuine smile. He put money on the counter.

"Granger, I don't love Astoria and she can't stand me. The thing is, I've been in love with you for years. I could never say anything because you're muggleborn and my father would have killed you. My guilt for the Manor was even worse because of that. You're the only girl that ever held my attention. I used to hate you but it wasn't until fifth year that I realized it was so much more."

Hermione was speechless. She simply stared at him. After a few moments she pushed his change at him. Moments after that, she found her voice.

"Malfoy, you know it can never happen. I'm with Fred and I love him. You're with Astoria. Even if it could, you watched me tortured. You tormented me as a child. I understand you've apologized, and I've forgiven you, but honestly. I think that this is just a stage because I've given you the forgiveness you needed to move on. I think that you should leave."

Hermione moved to leave the counter but Malfoy met her at the end of it. He grasped her around the elbow, not hard enough to leave marks, but hard enough so she couldn't get away, and pulled her into his chest. His arms wrapped around her, one snaking around her waist, one at the base of her neck tangling in her long hair, as he pulled her in for a deep kiss. She fought him at first, her hands pushing against the hard muscles of his chest. When that didn't work, Hermione became unresponsive. Sensing something was wrong, Malfoy pulled back, releasing his hold on her. Since her wand was under the counter (silently cursing herself for leaving it there), she drew back her fist, and let her rage fuel her arm.

A cry of pain escaped her mouth before she realized fully what had happened. Malfoy wasn't on the ground but he was bent at the waist holding his face. She was clutching her right hand to her chest and there was blood coursing down her chest. Pulling her hand away from her long sleeved blue shirt, she saw two jagged bones sticking out of the top of her hand. Her stomach did a somersault. Malfoy glanced up at her as she whimpered and managed to steady her as she sank to her knees. A sweat broke out on her brow as she leaned against the counter. Malfoy reached out and brushed the hair off her forehead.

"Don't touch me Malfoy. It's your fault my hands fucking broken and I'm about to throw up right now." He gave a low chuckle.

"Granger, I have to admit, you always did know how to throw a punch. Look at my damn face." She glanced up and saw that he was now sporting a large bruise that would take up half the left side of his face. Dean and Seamus came walking round the corner from the back room and yelped in surprise seeing their friend on the floor covered in blood. Seconds later seeing Malfoy, anger lit in their eyes. Both descended on him with wands drawn.

"Get the fuck out, Malfoy! I don't know what the fuck you did to her, but don't even think about coming in here again. The wards will be set to not even admit you. Fred and George will hear about this. Don't think about bugging 'Mione anywhere else either!" They each grasped one of Malfoy's arms and threw him unceremoniously through the door of the store. After he was gone, they locked the door so no other customers could come into the store. Dean scribbled out a note to Fred and George and sent it with one of the owls while Seamus came and tried to examine Hermione's hand that she had cradled to her chest once again. Her shirt and bra were sticky with blood. Dean brought over a washcloth that he wet magically and put it to her brow, cooling her off.

"What happened, 'Mione? What the fuck did he do to you?" Seamus asked her carefully, seeing that she was fighting getting sick. She gave him a weak smile.

"He told me that he was in love with me. I tried to walk off after telling him that it was never going to happen and he pulled me into him and kissed me. I tried to push him off me but he was too strong. I quit reacting so he pulled back to see what was wrong. I pulled my arm back and punched him. Guess I hit him too hard. I'd heal the damn thing myself if the bones weren't sticking out." They both began to curse loudly but were interrupted by all to familiar pop of apparition. Fred and George had appeared from Madam Malkin.

"What the bloody hell happened here? Did you close the shop?" George asked when he saw Hermione's shirt covered in blood. Seamus and Dean both nodded. Fred gently pulled her hand away from her chest, causing more sweat to break out on her forehead. The ragged bones peeking out caused anger to erupt in his chest. He lashed out at the two men in front of him.

"What the fuck happened? What the fuck were you two doing, playing ring around the rosy in the back? She breaks her fucking hand and you two don't even know about it?" Dean and Seamus glared at him but said nothing. Hermione swatted him in the chest with her good hand, leaving an almost perfect handprint of blood on his t-shirt. His eyes blazed at the sight of it. George didn't look in much better condition.

"Don't yell at them, Fred. They got rid of Malfoy, threw him out. You should be thanking them. He sure as hell wouldn't listen to me." As soon as she got done saying this she couldn't hold the contents in her stomach any longer. She quietly reached for the trashbin and retched, holding her stomach with her one good hand. Fred supported her injured hand and rubbed circles in her back while George drew her hair back to one side. After she was finished, she laid her arm on the side of the bin and her forehead on her arm.

"Ok, one of you tell me what the fuck happened since she can't. I'm sorry I yelled at you. It isn't your fault. I just hate seeing her hurt." Fred apologized to Dean and Seamus and they nodded. Seamus answered Fred.

"We came around the corner and we saw Malfoy bent down with her, his hand on her forehead like he was brushing hair off her face. We heard her tell him not to touch her and to get out. We drew our wands and both grabbed an arm and threw him out, even though we didn't know what happened. Told him that we were going to tell you two and not to ever come back or bother her again and that we were going to set the wards to not even admit him. Not sure if we can do that but it sounded good. We asked her what happened after we sent for you two and she said that he told her he was in love with her and she told him that she was with Fred and loved him and that it would never happen. She turned to leave but he pulled her to him and kissed her. She fought him but he was too strong so she quit reacting. He thought something was wrong so he pulled back. When he pulled back she punched him, which broke her hand. She said she 'hit him too hard'. I don't think she hit him too hard, I think she's just too small." Dean and Seamus both chuckled at Seamus' last remark. George was the first one to recover. He brushed a hand across Hermione's cheek.

"Love, you just can't catch a break, can you?" She smiled faintly.  
"I'll be okay. I just want to go get my hand fixed so I won't want to get sick anymore."

She reached down and took her injured hand from Fred and with the help from both twins she stood. George put the wards in place quickly while Fred vanished the contents of her stomach. She thanked Dean and Seamus before they apparated home, happy with an early day off. Fred and George stepped in the fireplace with her, flooing to St. Mungo's.

Once the staff at the healers had her laid down and gave her pain potion to drink, she began to relax. When the spell that was to set the bones that were wrenched from her skeleton were spoken, she barely felt it. It felt like a faint burn for a few seconds and then it was over. Then it was a simple episkey spell, and she was as good as new. Fred carried her home in his arms, as she was half asleep from the pain potion. She heard the faint commotion of the Burrow as he carried her through, but she didn't feel like dealing with any of them right now. She rolled further into Fred's chest savoring his warmth. Feeling his arms tighten around her, she sighed happily. His familiar smell of pine and lemons were comforting. She cracked her eyes a bit and saw the bloody handprint on his shirt and her breath hitched, scared something had happened to him. Then she remembered that she had put it there. He had froze when her breathing caught, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled deeper into his chest.

Reaching her room, he flicked his wand and threw the covers back. After easing her out of his arms and on to the bed, he transfigured her clothes into comfortable flannel pants and a tank top. He sat with her for a few minutes to make sure that she wouldn't wake up, brushing her hair away from her face. When he was sure that she was in a deep sleep, he kissed her temple, left her wand on her table, gave her a last smile, and left the room in quiet.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Okey doke, hope y'all liked it...not my favorite chapter but ya can't like em all! Anyways, George and Angelina's wedding is up next! Until next time...Let me know what ya think (: Thanks guys!


	32. Chapter 32

A/N- I want to send a shoutout to EVERYONE that is reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this story...you guys continue to be my inspiration (: Hopefully I am keeping you entertained! Anyways, I am going to once again take us into the blissful event of marriage...George and Angelina to be precise. I know that I didn't go into detail, but they did reach an understanding about the stag night and KIND OF make up. He is by no means completely forgiven. Bill and Harry were fairly easily forgiven. Molly gave Arthur the silent treatment for a couple days but then relented after a heartfelt apology. Christine and Penelope never found out about Charlie and Percy and Lavender didn't seem to mind if she knew. Hope that clears things up. Sorry for not mentioning these things in more detail but it just didn't fit in the chapter well. So...now we can continue with the wedded bliss...haha (:

Disclaimer: I don't own crap. Except the character Christine Smith, you get the picture, hahaha!

Chapter 32 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 19, 1998 - George & Angelina's Wedding

The morning sun shone through the window, causing Hermione to crack an eye in irritation. Morning had come far too quickly. Her parents from her visions had starred in her nightmares, causing her to wake up rigid in fear numerous times through the night. She had succeeded in not waking Fred since he was George's best man today, but had a feeling that he was not going to be happy with her for not waking him. Rolling towards him, she shivered as the cool air kissed her bare shoulders. Fred pulled her towards him, snuggling her deeper into his bare chest. She felt him drop a kiss on the top of her head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just cold and wanted to snuggle up to you." His grip tightened on her and he chuckled quietly.

"Don't feel bad, love. Unless you really want to make it up to me, of course." She could hear the teasing tone of his voice but could feel the erection pressing into her hip. His hands were suddenly tracing patterns on her bare shoulders. She laughed lightly and pressed kisses onto his chest. He gave small moans and attempted to run his hands through her tangled hair. After a few moments of teasing, he rolled her over onto her back and then stopped.

"Merlin, Mia, you look horrible. Did you sleep at all?" She shrugged slightly.

"Some. I had a few nightmares. My parents. I was going to wake you but I knew that you have a lot of things to do today so I let you sleep. I'll try to sleep some more later." He shook his head.

"You are quite ridiculous, love. I don't have that much to do. After we're done with business here, you're going back to sleep. Next time, you're going to wake me up. You said yourself, when you wake me up, feel better." She smiled and nodded.

He bent down and captured her mouth with his. The intrusion of his tongue was sweet and welcome. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him down onto her, deepening the kiss. Feeling his hips rock back onto hers, pulling her forward, his fingers found the bottom of her tank top. Skimming the soft flesh of her sides ever so slightly, he pulled her top of slowly, torturously. His mouth trailed down her neck, nipping the spot on her neck that made moisture appear in her knickers every time. His hands found her breasts, teasing them, as his teeth played at her collarbone. Her hands roamed over his back, tracing his muscles, making him moan.

When he moved downward, her moans began. His tongue was flicking her nipples, making them pebble hard, while his hands gently kneaded the other. Her scent was beginning to permeate the air, drawing him in. She felt his hand trace her abdomen down, causing her to willingly part her legs. He softly ran a finger over her folds, inserting first one finger, then two, causing her to gasp with pleasure. She felt his thumb rub on her core, causing her hips to buck involuntarily. He moved his hand and she was able to breathe again. Feeling him move on the bed, she caught her breath before she felt his mouth close on her sex, his tongue probing on her. Her hips bucked again, the pleasure immeasurable. She seized his hair as the moans escaped her mouth. He continued to suck on the her nub, bringing her to orgasm. She felt the explosion deep within her, spasms rocking her body. Relinquishing her hold on Fred, she felt him lick her intimately, deep within her.

He pressed kisses back up to her breasts, nipped her neck again, and then positioned himself over her. Entering her swiftly with a poweful thrust, she almost cried out with the sheer pleasure of feeling full of him. She clutched his shoulder and he buried his face in her neck, inhaling her hair.

"You tasted good, Mia. I love everything about you. The way you moan when you feel good, how you shudder when you cum, the way you taste, the way you feel, how you quiver around my cock when you cum..."

She quit paying attention to what he was muttering. The growing sensation in her lower abdomen was growing and would not be held back anymore. She wrapped her legs around his hips and met his thrusts with her own, urging him to thrust harder. He obliged, releasing the hot coil within her. As she let the moan free, her most intimate flesh tightened on him, sending him over the edge with her. His ragged breath caught and he shuddered onto of her. They both lay still trying to catch their breath. After their breathing stilled, Fred cast a cleansing spell and then pulled Hermione into his arms. He stroked her hair as her breathing slowed. After he was sure that she was asleep, he lifted her off his arm and tucked the blankets securely around her.

Once he had showered, he went downstairs and met his family for breakfast. They were all in high spirits for George's upcoming nuptials later that afternoon. He would be leaving shortly with George, in fact. Percy reached over and handed Fred and envelope with Hermione's name on it.

"This came late last night for Hermione. I'll let you give it to her." Fred looked at it and nodded. It had a Ministry of Magic stamp in the corner. He had a guess who it was from. Ron looked at it quizically.

"Is that from Kingsley? What did she write him for?" Fred eyed him with a cold look before answering.

"Yes, I am sure it's from Kingsley but I'm not opening it to look. It's her mail and she'll tell me what it says when she's ready. She wrote him for help looking into what happened to her parents after her experience with Harry at her childhood home." Ron nodded looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, she'd probably hex you if you looked before she read it. I have a feeling that those visions were right, they probably are dead, in exactly the way she saw too. Just another way for Voldemort to torture her for being Harry Potter's best mate. As if Bellatrix wasn't enough." Ron snorted as if his joke was funny. Fred saw the retort on Ginny's face before he heard it.

"Well, I guess since Voldemort saw the need to torture Harry's most loyal friend, in your opinion, it was Hermione and not you. Why is it that Hermione was always the one who stood by Harry, always, and not you? Your petty jealousy, just like now, with Hermione. That's why you've lost her as a friend." Ron gave her a stony glare. Harry stared at Ron for a few moments before speaking.

"You know, mate, everyone has been trying to drill in my head that it isn't my fault that everyone has died in this bloody war. Dumbledore, my parents, Remus, Sirius, Tonks, everyone. Here you are, basically saying Hermione was tortured for being my best friend. If her parents are dead it's because she was my best friend. And I don't know, maybe it's true, but goddamnit, I'm not the one who tortured her! I was the one who got us out! If her parents are dead, I didn't fucking kill them! It may be my fault, but I didn't fucking do it!" Harry threw the chair that he was sitting in backwards as he stood up and headed towards the fireplace. "I'll meet you guys at the wedding." He stepped into the fire and flooed to Grimmauld Place. Ginny stood up to follow him but not before pointing her wand at Ron.

"If you ever insinuate my husband is to blame for anything to do with what has happened to Hermione, I will make you wish you were never born. He won't because you're still his friend, but I will. I am NOT scared of you, Ronald." Her eyes glittered menacingly as she stepped into the floo and disappeared after Harry.

The rest of the table remained quiet for a few moments after the pair left before Molly broke the silence. "I really can't believe you said that, Ronald. None of what has happened is his fault. He saved everyone. We all owe him a huge debt. You and Hermione as well." Ron rubbed his large hands over his face.

"Mum, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean to say that it was his fault that it all happened. They tortured her because she had the sword in her purse. If she hadn't had it, they still would have tortured her because she was his friend and she's muggleborn. They went after her parents because they couldn't go after you guys. You were too well protected and you're pureblood. The common factor is just that she's Harry Potter's friend. I didn't mean that it was his fault. This just got blown way out of proportion." Charlie nodded towards Ron's direction.

"Give him a few minutes for Ginny to calm him down and then go tell him that then. He'll forgive you, he always has. He needs his friends and family. You know he struggles with guilt. He lashed out because he never thought in a million years you would blame him. Just apologize." Ron gave him a smile and nodded. He stood up to clear his plate and looked back at Fred.

"Where is Hermione by the way? She would have jinxed me already for saying that earlier." Fred and Charlie both snickered a little as they saw Arthur hide a smile behind his hand.

"She had nightmares all night about her parents so when she back to sleep this morning, I just let her sleep. I'll leave her a note if she's still asleep when I leave. She looked terrible when I woke up though. Between that and the whole Malfoy situation, I think she's just had too much stress on her."

Charlie growled audibly. "You just let me see that..." he glanced at his mother, who was shooting him a dirty look. "I'll make him, or anyone else who touches her, for that matter, wish they hadn't been born." Charlie was popping his knuckles and his impressive muscles were flexing. Hermione had wedged herself into Charlie's heart as well most of the other Weasley's, without even trying or realizing she had done it. Fred had a feeling that it had happened around the same time that she had saved his life. Charlie now had the strong urge to protect her, as did Fred, George, Ron, and Harry. Fred couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Charlie pounding Malfoy's face in the ground.

"Hey, she got a good hit in." George quipped.  
"Yeah, but she had to break two bones to do it. She could have just called me and let me have some fun. I could have done ten times the damage for touching her like that. At least she packs a good punch for being so bloody tiny." Charlie said with a little pride. Ron laughed to himself too. Arthur looked at all his sons.

"I think we're just lucky that Dean and Seamus were there to stop things before it got too serious. They did say, as did Hermione, that he didn't seem bent on anything worse than kissing her. After she hit him, he was joking with her. However, forcing someone to do something against their will is no laughing matter. I really think that we should consider some protection for Hermione. She just can't seem to catch a break." Fred shook his head.

"Dad, you know that Mia won't go for that. She will whine, scream, and throw a fit, stomp her feet, and then run off. I'll get her to agree to always be around one of the family, but she won't agree to auror protection and I won't let her leave. I couldn't be without her now. If you're worried about the store, we can owl Kingsley and see if he can have some aurors add some more wards to it." Arthur nodded his head.

"You're probably right, she won't agree. Ask Kingsley tonight about the store, I'll ask him about here. We can't be too safe, for all of us." Molly nodded in agreement. George slapped the table, startling Fred.

"You ready to marry me off, Freddie? It's almost time to leave." Fred smiled at him.

"Let me just jot out a note Mia for when she wakes up and then I'll be ready to go."

He found a quill and parchment and wrote out her note, smiling to himself as he did. Knowing that George and Charlie were smirking at each other about him over his head, he wrapped it up and folded the note, hooking it to the note from Kingsley.

"Charlie, will you put this in her room, on the bed next to her? We really need to go." Charlie smiled and nodded. He reached out and shook George's hand.

"Good luck, brother. See you once you're a married man." George gave him a wide smile. Fred and George walked to the appartition point, shoving each other like they used to as boys, laughing and joking with other good-naturedly. They disappeared with a faint pop that could be heard through the house. Charlie disappeared up the stairs and quietly opened the door to Hermione's room. She was still sound asleep, her hair spread out on the pillow. He caught sight of her clothes and knickers on the floor and realized that she was naked underneath the blankets. He could feel the blush in his cheeks, which was a new feeling for him. Her bare shoulders were showing from under the blanket. He pulled it up over her further, causing her to nestle further into her pillow. Smiling slightly, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Leaving his brother's note for her on the pillow next to her, he closed the door behind him quietly as he left. He didn't understand how the tiny witch he had just tucked in had gotten into his heart so quickly, but she had. The only other females who shared that spot were his mother and sister. He knew he could say though, without a doubt, Merlin help those who hurt his three lovely witches.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ok, decided to go ahead and make George and Angelina's wedding two chapters. Sorry! I'm sorry this one was a lot of dialouge...sometimes it just can't be helped! Let me clarify that Charlie is NOT in love with Hermione. He loves her dearly, but as a sister sort of figure. Kind of like Harry and Hermione. Just wanted to clear that up. Anways, sorry again for the two chapter thing. This ones kind of short but the next one is my longest chapter yet so bear with me! Hopefully you think it's worth it! I will post the second part of the chapter Wednesday or Thursday so be ready! Let me know what you think...til next time...(:


	33. Chapter 33

A/N- Okey doke, part two of George and Angelina's wedding, coming up! Excited! I am going to state one more time that if you do not like the characters or plot in this fic, do not PM me, do not leave me reviews, simply don't read it. It saves you time, and me as well. I never understand people that do that. I have received a few PMs and reviews complaining about the characters not being canon and such. I know they aren't. I don't care. This is my story. If you want a story where they are canon, you shouldn't even be reading a Fremione fic. Constructive criticism and ideas only, please (: Thanks all!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Christine Smith. I wish i owned the wonderful world of Harry Potter.

Chapter 33 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 19, 1998 - George & Angelina's Wedding

A sharp knock on the door brought Hermione out of her dreamless sleep. She was aware that Fred was gone and she was naked under the blankets. Quickly, she scurried out of bed and threw on his old quidditch jersey that was lying on the floor. In her haste to reach the door, she tripped on one of Fred's trainers and fell to the floor with a thud, cursing. The door opened and Charlie entered with a concerned look on his face.

"Merlin, Hermione, what's going on in here? It sounds like you're bringing the house down." He set a tray on the bed before he bent down to help her up. She took his hand gratefully and let him help her to the bed.

"Well, you scared the shit out of me and in the process of trying to make it to the door I tripped over his bloody trainer. I seem to have bad luck with trainers. Why are you here, by the way? What time is it?" He started to laugh as she began to fire questions at him.

"It's almost noon, so Fred's been gone for awhile. He had me leave you these notes earlier. Everyone has gone to Angie's house as well except for Ron and I. I would have gone as well but I didn't think that it would be a good idea to leave you here by yourself with just Ron." Hermione shuddered at the thought and shot Charlie a grateful glance.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. It's sad to say that I'm more worried about what he'll do than what Malfoy would do. If Fred and George hadn't been there before who knows how far it would have went." She began to open her letter from Fred. She was through reading it before she realized that she had not received a response from Charlie. Looking up at him, she gave him a quizzical look. His face was stony and his jaw set.

"What's wrong, Charlie? Thank you for bringing me these notes, by the way." She reached out and grabbed his hand, it was clenched in a fist.

"Tell me what it was a good thing the twins were there for. Apparently I've been kept in the dark about some things." His voice was cold and his brown eyes were trying to penetrate hers to see into her soul. She realized her mistake immediately and her eyes went wide. She attempted to draw her hand back but he grabbed it in both of his, wrapping it in his iron grasp. Inside she felt no fear of him, but she was suddenly aware of how much skin she was showing. Fred's quidditch jersey only came to just above mid-thigh and she wasn't wearing any knickers. The room was cool and her nipples were hard. She tugged the jersey down as far as she could nervously. Charlie noticed.

"Hermione, I love you dearly, but not like that. You belong with Fred, who happens to be my little brother. I would never dream of taking you from him. You are just like Ginny in my eyes. Put on a pair of pants and then tell me what the fuck happened." She nodded gratefully as she snatched up the pants off the floor. Jerking them on as he closed his eyes, she tried to figure out how best to tell him the story. When she sat back down, he took her hand again with a grim look on his face. She drew in a deep breath.

"About a week after the Final Battle, I came clean to Ron when he sneaked in here one night. I told him that I didn't have feelings for him like he did for me and the kiss he gave me while I was hurt didn't hold the same meaning for the both of us but I wanted us to still remain friends. He told me that I just needed to learn how to kiss and that he would teach me. He pinned me to the bed after taking my wand and forced himself on me. He pulled up my shirt and groped my breasts. He quit kissing me long enough for me to scream once. Fred and George heard me. They came in and pulled him off of me as he was trying to shove his hand down my pants." Hermione could feel her face burning in embarrassment. She put her free hand over her eyes so she didn't have to meet his steely gaze. His fingers on her chin brought her face up to his.

"Were you a virgin, Hermione? Did he rape you?" His voice cracked at the end of his question. Her face was now the color of Fred's jersey.

"I was, yes. But no, he didn't...rape me. The twins got there in time, like I said. He hurt me, embarrassed me, but they took care of me. Beat the piss out of him, guarded me, hell they still do, and then I realized that almost everyone knew about it anyways when they promised they wouldn't tell anyone. Now Bill and Percy are the only ones who don't know." Charlie pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the top of the head.

"Now I understand why Fred is so crazy about protecting you. First Ron, now Malfoy. If anyone touches you and Fred can't handle 'em, you just come to Big Brother Charlie. You know I have the biggest muscles of all the Weasley boys and I would gladly put them to use for you, little sister. If Fred ever hurts you, you still come to me. You're prettier than him on your worst day." He smiled and ruffled her hair, making her laugh. "Now, let me suggest you eating the breakfast I brought you and then taking a shower and getting dressed for the wedding. I believe that I am supposed to escort you. A word of advice...agree to Fred begging you to always being with a member of the family. Otherwise, Dad is going to suggest getting you auror protection." A look of indignation passed over her face before it disappeared.

"I suppose that better than auror protection. I can't do that. The war is over, I can't go back to that. But will you do me a favor and read this letter and tell me what it says? I can't do it." He took it while nodding. He opened the letter and skimmed it over, eyes flitting over the page.

"Well, Kingsley is chewing you out for calling him 'Minister' but says that he will certainly help you. On Monday morning he will have foreign correspondents begin their search for your parents and any information regarding them. As soon as he has any information he will let you know. He will try to give you updates if he has information or not so you aren't left wondering." He handed her the paper back and she blew out a long breathy sigh in relief. She reached over and gave him another hug, thanking him. After she began to eat her toast and tea, he stood up, leaving her to ready herself for the wedding.

Charlie found himself seated on the couch in the living room, flipping through the few channels on the telly, waiting for Hermione to ready herself for George's wedding. They still had a couple hours but they had to be there early as they were family of the groom. His mother would have their hides if they were late. He had waited til as late as he dared to wake Hermione, not entirely sure how long it would take her to get ready. The information she had told him was still trying to sink into his brain. He believed every word of it, but didn't want to. Ron had always had a soft spot for Hermione, but so had Fred. Sure, it had to be hard seeing the girl you had loved for years being with your brother but that was no reason to sexually assault her. Ginny's hen night flashed through his mind...Ron walking in on Fred and Hermione naked. That must have brought back terrible memories. No wonder she was crying so hard, didn't seem to realize the mark on her face. Hermione had sustained some pretty substantial injuries that night. Charlie couldn't even act that he wasn't angry at Fred and Ron both for not noticing one of them had hit her in the face and knocked her to the ground. They were both lucky she didn't know which one did it. He was jolted out of his reverie by Ron joining him on the couch.

"Well, Harry forgave me like you said he would. Ginny hasn't, but that's to be expected. That girl can hold a grudge like nobody's business. I tried to explain to her but she just threatened me again and walked off. Are we the only ones here?" Charlie nodded then motioned upstairs with his eyes.

"Just us and Hermione. She's getting ready for the wedding still. I went up and woke her a bit ago. Knew Mum would hex our bits if we were late." Ron snorted at the thought.

"You got that right. Then she'd never have the grandchildren she wants so desperately. If you want to go on ahead, I can wait for Hermione. I know that we aren't supposed to leave her alone, especially since the Malfoy incident. Isn't Christine meeting you there?" Charlie spun his head around to look at Ron.

"She is meeting me there, but not until closer til starting time. And for the record, I would never leave Hermione alone with you. Not in a million years." Confusion clouded Ron's eyes.

"What are you talking about, Charlie? I wouldn't do anything to Hermione. I love that girl, she's one of my best friends. I know I said some terrible things to her that night in her room, but I apologized to her and I meant every word when I did. I've never thought that she was a whore. It just kills me to know that she's letting Fred stick it to her when I know that I'm the one who's right for her." Charlie's fists clenched at the words Ron chose to describe the woman Charlie loved as a little sister.

"I found out what happened in her room a week after the Final Battle, Ron. I found out that you tried to rape her. That's what would have happened if Fred and George hadn't have stopped you. That is not love, that's infatuation. And I don't think I'd call what Fred does as 'sticking it to her'...he really does love her. You're right on one measure though, she's not a whore. Fred's the only person she's ever been with and she loves him. That makes her far from a whore. I'm going to tell you once. If you ever touch her again, I won't wait for Fred to have his go with you. He's had twice with you. It'll be my turn. That woman is my sister now, and just as if she was Ginny, I'll protect her the same." His voice had become low and menacing. After just a few seconds of silence, Hermione entered the room with a smile on her face, the scent of peaches following after her. She wore a long sleeved midnight blue dress, made of silk, that clung to her curves, and flowed to mid-calf. Her tiny waist was accentuated with a black belt and she wore strappy black shoes that matched. Even though the shoes added four inches to her height, she still had to look up to both Charlie and Ron. She wore more makeup than usual, accentuating her caramel eyes, her hair wavy and just pinned back. The perfume that Fred was so fond of followed after her. She was holding a matching shawl in her hand, along with a clutch purse and her wand. After giving a spin to show off her dress, she earned a whistles from Charlie and Ron.

"Damn, Hermione, you look bloody amazing. Fred is a lucky man." Charlie complimented her as she added a natural blush to her makeup. He held out his arm as Ron stepped forward to do the same and Hermione thanked him with her eyes. All three walked to the apparition point together and joined hands. Hermione let Charlie take the lead, as she hadn't been to Angelina's house before, and they turned on the spot. When they landed in the yard, she was stunned at the beauty of the decorations. The Gryffindor colors the Angie had chosen looked great together. The sprawling grounds looked spectacular. Charlie and Ron guided her into the house, where the wedding would be held.

The inside of the large country home was bustling with activity. Waitstaff could be seen in the large kitchen, scurrying about the stove and tasting varying dishes. Dress robes were swishing by Hermione at every turn, but she didn't seem to recognize many of the people in them. Red and gold splashes of color adorned the walls and staircases of nearly every room. Other than the two Weasleys that were escorting her, she saw no other redheads in the crowds that were waiting to be seated for the ceremony. Off in the distance, Hermione saw that Christine had arrived and was searching the crowd for Charlie. She pulled on his arm lightly.

"Charlie, your fiance in here. I think she's looking for you. You better go get her." Charlie nodded to her.

"I'll be back in just a few minutes with her. You'll be fine with Ron for that long, right?" She rolled her eyes and shoved him towards Christine.

Ron stepped over next to her, taking Charlie's place but didn't touch her. She looked over at him and smiled slightly.

"Where's Lavender at, Ron? It's almost time for the wedding to start." He looked down at her and took her elbow lightly to guide her forward as the doors in front of them were opened.

"She's not able to come. Her cousin is getting married today and her mum said she would kill her if she missed it. I guess they were pretty close growing up." She nodded absentmindedly as the well-dressed usher showed them to seats at the front of the room on the grooms side. Hermione threw her shawl over the back of her chair, but held her purse in her lap. After crossing her legs, she glanced around the room, taking in the scene. Roses and liles decorated the end of each row of seats. Golden sashes hung from each end seat, connecting it to the next. Hermione recognized a few friends from Hogwarts seated on Angie's side of the room, as well as George's. She noticed Harry and Ginny come in and be seated a couple rows back, Charlie and Christine following shortly behind them. After smiling and waving to them, she turned back to the front of the room, finally noticing that Ron was watching her from the corner of his eye.

Hermione struck up a conversation with the wizard next to her. She discovered that he was a potion ingredient supplier to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes and had fought the Death Eaters that had attacked Diagon Alley during the year before the Final Battle. As the conversation continued about his children, Hermione felt an arm drape possessively on the back of her chair. Ron's hand was now dangling between her and the polite supplier. The older gentlemen took the suble hint and turned his attention to the gentlemen on his other side. Hermione turned to berate him for his actions but was halted by the music that began playing. Her harsh words were forgotten and excitement filled her at the coming nuptials.

George and Fred entered from the side, both dashing in their black dress robes with gold accents. Hermione smiled sweetly at him, then blew him a kiss. As Angelina's cousin entered, Hermione felt Ron watching her again. The room stood in muggle tradition as Angelina entered and strode in time with the music towards George. When Hermione sat back in her chair, Ron already had his arm around the top of it. The ceremony proceeded, Angelina and George exchanging their vows and their first kiss as husband and wife. As Fred exited down the aisle after George and Angelina, he threw her a wink. The guests all filed out of the room, row by row, led by the ushers. Hermione was guided lightly by Ron's steady hand on her elbow, which she fought the urge to throw off.

As they passed through the doors, Hermione caught sight of Fred waiting at the staircase across the room. She pulled from Ron's grip and rushed towards him, bright smile on her face. When she reached his arms, he caught her round the waist, lifting her up in the air, and spun her around in a circle. A light giggle escaped her mouth as she swatted his arm.

"Put me down right now, Frederick!" He set her down but leaned down and caught her mouth in a deep kiss. They were interrupted by Molly, who cleared her throat loudly.

"That is hardly appropriate behavior in front of strangers, you two! It's time for wedding pictures, anyways. Hermione, George has requested pictures with you and Fred both in them so we'll need you as well." Hermione nodded, blushing, and followed behind Fred as Molly led them to the photographer.

She stood patiently, watching, while the photographer photoed the bride and groom seperately and together, the wedding party as a whole, then just certain parts together. Hermione made a mental note to ask Angie to look at their pictures to see if the gentleman was any good so she could see if she wanted him for her own wedding photos. The thought made her smile to herself. George finally yelled at her to join the photo with himself, Angelina, and Fred. The way the photographer arranged them, she knew it would come out charming. Once the photos were finished, they adjourned to the reception that the caterers had prepared.

Hermione sat at the head table with Fred, George, Angelina, her cousin and her husband. Fred and George kept the table entertained telling jokes and tales of their pranks back in Hogwarts. Angelina's cousin had been three years older than the twins in school and hadn't been around for their crazier pranks. Diane and James, their names were, got a good laugh at the story of Hermione yelling at both twins for testing products on first years and threatening to write their mum. There were even more laughs when Fred embarrassed Hermione further by commenting on how scared he was of her now.

"I'm not sure who I'm more scared of now, Mia or Mum." Hermione shot him a dirty look.

"I'm not that scary! I don't yell at all compared to your mum." George laughed out loud at the face she gave Fred.

"'Mione, please tell me you don't believe that rubbish. When you're mad your voice gets all quiet and fire shoots out of your eyes. Even your hair blows around like it's windy, like when we were kids and accidental magic would happen. The effect is really quite scary." Everyone hid smiles behind their hands as she tried to burn the one-eared man on the spot with her eyes. Fred leaned towards her and kissed her temple with a smile on his face.

Before she could retaliate with a quick come-back to her brother-in-law, the father of the bride stood up to the stage to give his speech. After the incident a week before at George's stag night, Hermione didn't figure the speech would be a pretty one. However, he welcomed George warmly to the family, expressed his delight at the thought of grandchildren, and finally added a warning as to what would happen should George hurt his baby girl. Arthur followed, giving a similar speech, welcoming Angie to the family and thanking her for making George the happiest he's ever seen him. Diane followed after Arthur and spoke of she and Angie's childhood together, her pure heart, knowing that she deserved the best. As the speeches wore on, Hermione started shifting in her seat. Her lower back was aching terribly from the prolonged sitting and then standing for photos. After Diane took her seat, Fred took the stage for his turn.

"Friends, family, and honored guests, I'm glad you could all come tonight and join us. My twin, my other half, has went and got himself married. I honestly couldn't dream of a better girl for him. Angelina was one of our first friends at Hogwarts, we sat with her on the train. We played out first prank at school on her. Now, Angie, I know you fancy yourself ready to take on George full-time, but just remember, you get the both of us. Not only are we twins, we're twin pranksters. I hope that you can handle us. I'm sure you can, but just be ready for the challenge. And also, for the record, if he ever does anything really stupid, just come see me. I know all his weak spots and will be all too happy to torment him for you. Now be happy and give me some neices and nephews!"

The room lit up in laughter and smiles at his speech, Angelina and George applauding him the finished meals were cleared away, the crowd began to disperse the ballroom for the first dance. Hermione was grateful to stand, though it didn't provide much relief. The wizarding band they hired played beautifully, a slow number that Hermione didn't recognize, but George twirled Angelina across the dance floor with the same grace that Fred possessed. Fred was to dance with Diane for the second dance, as was tradition, best man with maid of honor. Ron appeared at Hermione's side.

"Dance with me, Hermione?" He held out his hand, waiting. She hesitated. "It's just one dance, 'Mione."

"Alright. One dance."

He drew her into his arms and began to dance with across the floor. He had improved since Ginny's wedding but still didn't have Fred's skill. After spinning her, he tried to pull her closer, but she pulled away. She raised her eyebrows in warning and he continued on with the steps. Once the dance was over, he kissed her hand gently before walking away. Charlie then swept her into the next high-tempo dance, pulling her after him, making her laugh. Before she could catch her breath, George caught her hand next, fitting her into his chest, sweeping her across the floor in a playful manner. She caught sight of Fred dancing with Angelina in the same manner. After George released her she headed towards the drink table to be stopped by the potions ingredient supplier who sat next to her at the wedding.

"Miss, I'm so sorry! When we were speaking earlier, I didn't realize that you were Hermione Granger. Harry Potter tells it that if it hadn't been for you, he would have been dead clear back in his first year. You're a true hero and I was boasting about Death Eaters." She laid a hand on his arm in reassurance.

"Sir, I don't exactly broadcast who I am but I'm marrying Fred Weasley, the best man. I'm sure you'll see me again. Harry's right, I have saved his life, but he's saved mine as well. In fact, in our third year he fought over a hundred dementors to save me. That's what friends do. And you are a hero. Everyone who fought against Voldemort and his followers are heros." His eyes seemed to get wet at her words.

"Would do me the great honor of dancing with me, Miss Granger? I never thought I would meet you, or Harry Potter, or Ron Weasley, and now I've met you all. Harry Potter shook my hand. It would delight me if you would give me a few minutes of your time and dance with me." She smiled at him and nodded her head. He took her hand and began to guide her through the other dancers to the sound of the music.

"Now, I'm sure you embarrassed poor Harry. He did always hate all the fame that came with that scar. I'm going to assume that he told you that you did more good than he did? Ron and I did all the work?" The man smiled at her.

"You know your friend well, Miss Granger. As soon as I mentioned how great he was, he told me that he was a man just like any other. I told him that was rubbish but he just smiled and said he would have been dead if not for you and Ron Weasley. I have to admit, you three must have been a force to be reckoned with. I wasn't at Hogwarts, but I heard about it. You yourself took out Greyback, and took on Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Well, actually, I was fighting Lestrange with my sister-in-law and a dear friend. It was three on one. My mother-in-law is the one who finally killed her."

"Still, we all had hope because of you three. The Ministry, Malfoy Manor, Gringotts...we owe the war to you." Hermione shook her head sadly. She pointed to Andromeda and Teddy.

"No, we owe it to them. That little boy lost both his parents in that war. In the Final woman lost her husband just because he was muggle-born like me. We owe the war to those who died, to those who didn't need to." A single tear fell down her cheek. They stopped moving as the music stopped.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger. You're completely right. I was just trying to convey how much you inspired the rest of us to keep fighting for what was right. I'm sorry if I've upset you." She smiled at him as she wiped off the lone tear.

"It's completely fine. I understand, I do. It's still all fresh sometimes, the loss and the memories. I hope you can understand and forgive me. Thank you for your kind words." He nodded as she turned and headed towards the refreshment table again. She really wanted to see Fred and have him wrap his arms around her, but he was dancing with Molly. Standing in front of the refreshment table, she spotted firewhiskey at the end of the table. Contemplating just a few drinks for the pain in her back, she headed to end of the table, meeting Ron much to her dismay.

"Was that bloke bothering you? I saw you wiping your face like you were crying." She gave him only a glance as she started to reach for a glass to fill with the firewhiskey. He noticed what she was reaching for and filled her a glass. "And what are you drinking for? You hardly ever drink. Especially firewhiskey. Thought you liked muggle liqour better." She sighed, taking the glass from him.

"My back hurts and I want the firewhiskey to dull the pain." She took a long drink of the amber liqour. "And he wasn't bothering me. He found out I was THE famous Hermione Granger so he just had to dance with me. Not sure who told him, but he was quite impressed with all three of us. He just brought up a lot of memories from the war." Ron nodded.

"Yeah, he accosted me too. Going on about how Harry told him how I saved his life with the chess set in first year. Wanted to shake my hand and everything. Guess some people are just really grateful." She scoffed into her glass as she took another drink.

"Well, it would be nice if 'grateful people' didn't have to remind me of every bloody thing we did in the war. For Merlin's sake, he even knew about Malfoy Manor. I don't think he knew what happened there, but he knew we were there." Her hand traveled subconsciously to the scar on her left forearm. She threw back another drink.

"'Mione, it's going to be fine. Nobody knows but the family and a few of the aurors. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore. And slow down on the drinking, you'll be piss drunk in under an hour. I'll have to take you home before the dance is even over." She shot him a dirty look and left him standing there to find Harry and Ginny. She found them talking to Luna and Neville about them setting their wedding date. After taking another long drink, Harry looked at her with a look of concern on his face.

"Hermione, you look lovely tonight. I was hoping to see you earlier this morning but you were still sleeping and I needed to leave." Ginny broke in.

"What he means is that he wanted to talk to you about Malfoy but Ron was a fucking prat and blamed your torture and if your parents are dead on being best friends with Harry. Harry yelled at him and left before anyone could stop him." Harry shot her a dirty look and Hermione looked shocked. She didn't say anything, just took another drink. Ginny instantly looked horrified.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that. I should have let Harry explain." Hermione shook her head.

"No, I'm tired of everyone actling like I'm too fragile for the truth. I'm glad you just came out and said it, Ginny. It's about time someone did. Harry, I hope to the gods you know it's not your fault that any of that happened to me. It was because I was muggleborn and I had the sword. As for my parents, I don't even know if they're dead or alive. Kingsley is going to start looking for me." Harry nodded.

"I know that, Hermione. You know I struggle with guilt though and it just struck me wrong. He came after me and apologized, said that he really didn't mean it like it sounded. Said he would never blame anything that happened to you on me. I accepted his apology but Ginny is obviously still mad. I just wanted to make sure that you were ok after Malfoy." She snorted as she took another drink.

"Oh, I'm brilliant. Ron did more to me than Malfoy, at least Malfoy acted like he cared after he realized I had broken my hand. I'm not particularly happy with the situation but there isn't much I can do about it now." She looked over and saw that Fred was now dancing with Angelina's mother but was throwing her winks.  
"I'm going to go find Charlie, make him drink with me. Fred's having a good time dancing and my back hurts too much to dance anymore." She walked off in the direction of the refreshment table to refill her glass. Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna watched after her, eyes wide.

After refilling her glass, she searched the room for the strongest of the Weasleys. Spotting him at a table in the corner, she made her way to take a seat. She sat herself in the seat next to him, setting her glass and purse on the table in front of her. Christine looked at her with a confused look on her face. Charlie hadn't noticed her presence yet. Christine leaned forward to speak to Hermione over the music.

"Hermione, it's nice to see you again. I didn't figure that you would come sit with us after you found Harry and Ginny." Charlie turned and noticed her and the drink in front of her. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"'Mione, nice to see you after our dancing debut. I see you're drinking. Would you like a partner? I'm sure that Christine and I can join you." Christine shook her head no. Charlie got up to go get himself a drink.

"I'm sorry, Christine, I've just had a bad day. I didn't mean to ruin your day too." She smiled in return.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. I'll be leaving shortly anyways and we both know how Charlie likes to drink. If you're with him, it will keep all the other witches off of him." Hermione laughed into her glass. Charlie returned with two glasses in his hands.

"I figured I would have to catch up. Now, are you going to tell me why you're drinking? It's not every day that you seek me out to get drunk. I saw Ginny at the refreshment table and she told me that you were coming to find me to get drunk with." The liqour was clouding her thoughts and she found the way he worded his sentences funny. She laughed out loud.

"How could I not drink? I've had a horrible time! But I won't tell anyone that but you. After you left, Ron scared off the bloke I was just having a conversation with by putting his arm around my chair, the same bloke then found out I was the famous Hermione Granger and reminded me of all the absolutely wonderful things I did during the war, even though I remember being terrified, starving, and in pain, Ron tried to act like my dad and tell me to quit drinking so I wouldn't get 'piss drunk' or he'd have to take me home, Ginny spurted out about the argument between Ron and Harry about everything that happened to me being Harry's fault, Harry just had to remind me about Malfoy shoving his tongue down my throat and me shattering two of the bones in my hand on his face, and on top of that, my bloody back is killing me! I'm hiding so nobody else will ask me to dance. My fiance is having a wonderful time dancing, and I didn't even get to dance with him. I just want to get drunk, dull the pain, and forget everything bad in my life right now. Not to mention, I'm tired of everyone treating me like I'm a child, too fragile to handle anything. I'm not going to break. Harry was trying to act like nothing happened this morning with Ron after Ginny just blurted it out. Since it was about me, I think it was somewhat my business." Hermione made herself quit talking. She realized she was rambling and the look on Charlie's face was one of concern. She tipped her glass back again. Charlie tipped his to match hers, but took a longer draw. Christine stood, giving both of them a kiss on the cheek after her speech, bidding them farewell.

"Hermione, I definetly think you need to drink, at least for the pain. The rest won't go away whether you drink or not. We all know you're incredibly strong, more so than any of us. We all know what you've been through. I really think that they're just trying to spare you more pain, not trying to insinuate that you're fragile. The bloke that was telling you how wonderful you are was just being grateful to you. I know that he has no idea what you went through, none of us really do. You don't want us to, remember? You have to be prepared for those reactions unless you want to announce to the world what has happened to you. We try to protect you because we see how much it upsets you and we love you. As for Ron, you aren't going anywhere with him. You aren't leaving unless it's with me or Fred. Malfoy, well, you can't do anything about him except know that you got in a good hit. And sometimes, shit just needs to stay between friends. Like Ron and Harry. I was there, and Ron really didn't mean anything. Harry is just touchy about the guilt thing and about you. Just leave it be. Now, finish your drink, and I'll go get us another round." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek before throwing back the little bit that was left in her glass.

After Charlie left to get them another drink, she contemplated what he had said. Fred had told her the same things, but he was always trying to protect her. Her muddled mind was beginning to wander to her fiance, and she began to search for him in the crowd. She spotted him on the other side of the room talking to Oliver Wood. Katie Bell strolled over, looking fabulous in a short pink dress that matched chestnut hair perfectly. Fred smiled at her and they spoke for a few minutes. Suddenly, she leaned forward, breasts brushing his arm, and whispered in his ear. Charlie walked up and handed her her glass. He followed her gaze and growled at the sight. Hermione held her arm out to stop Charlie, wanting to continue to watch. Fred didn't seem to notice that her breasts were on his arm, and he laughed at what she whispered in his ear. He picked up a piece of her hair, twirled it once in the air, and let it down, laughing again. He leaned down and said something to her, and then pulled her out onto the dance floor, pulling her gracefully through the other dancers. While they danced, Hermione felt jealousy clench in her abdomen and hurt in heart. Fred was flirting with her, a girl he had slept with.

Hermione threw back half the drink Charlie had just brought her, Charlie watching her carefully and then matching her drink. After the dance, Fred whispered in her ear again and then kissed her hand. He left her on the dance floor but she watched him leave, hunger in her eyes. Tears began to fall down Hermione's cheeks. Fred had never even asked her to dance. She gulped the rest of her drink, and then stood. Her legs were wobbly. She sat back down and bent to take off her strappy heels that she had been sure Fred would like. After removing her shoes, she stood to walk barefoot across the floor. Charlie followed her.

"Where are you going, Hermione? You're not going anywhere alone." Tears were starting to flow freely now and she just wanted out.

"I'll get your dad to apparate me home. We've both been drinking. I'll be fine. Thank you for drinking with me. Will you do me a favor though? Make sure he doesn't go off and sleep with her again?" He stared in confusion for a moment as she tried to turn away. He reached out and grabbed her hand for the third time that day.

"Sleep with her again? What?" She was wiping her eyes furiously now, makeup smearing.

"He slept with her in school and now he's flirting with her. I can't keep up with my back, besides, he didn't even ask me to dance. Just stay and make sure he doesn't sleep with her again." She jerked her hand out of his and disappeared into the crowd, shoes swinging in her hand. He searched for his dad in the crowd and saw him put his arm around Hermione, walking her towards the entrance. His blood was boiling. What was his brother thinking? He strode off in Fred's direction. He was now at the refreshment table with George, both of them laughing. Standing behind them, he just waited behind them until they turned. Fred's eyes lit up when he saw Charlie.

"Hey, Charlie, how's it going? Enjoying the party? I do believe you're next on the list." His smile faltered when Charlie didn't smile back.

"Well, I was having a fine time drinking with 'Mione til you had to go fuck it up. Now she's gone." He stalked outside in the opposite direction of the apparition point where nobody would be straying. After a comment like that, he knew Fred would follow. Sure enough, when he turned around in the cool evening air, both Fred and George were behind him.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Charlie? I haven't even talked to Mia. I didn't do anything to her. Where the hell did she go?"

"She went home, crying her bloody eyes out. Between Ron, Ginny, Harry, Malfoy, some bloke dancing with her reminding her of all the horrible things she did during the war, her back killing her, she decided to get drunk. She sought me out, since I like to drink and I'm the only one besides George that hadn't pissed her off." Fred interrupted.

"I haven't pissed her off, I haven't even seen her since eating dinner."

"Did you ever think that was the problem? You're out there having a bloody good time dancing the night away, and she can't dance anymore because of her goddamned back. She was content to sit there with me and let you have your fun except you never asked her to dance, not even once, and you were the one person she wanted to dance with. Your twin had his turn. I even took a turn and I hate dancing! Then, when she's just getting good and drunk to dull the pain, she looks over and sees you flirting away with some tart she says you slept with in school. That girl was looking at you like you were a piece of meat, her tits all over you. Then you dance with her, the only thing she really wanted to do with you! Is it true you slept with her?" Realization was slowly dawning on Fred's face and guilt was creeping in his chest.

"Yeah, in seventh year. It didn't mean anything, we never dated or anything. She was just a leg over. Why is Hermione being so insecure? She should know that I love her."

Charlie landed two powerful hits on Fred's jaw, one right after the other. Fred didn't have time to react. George didn't step in, but pulled out his wand.  
"That's enough Charlie. He didn't do anything. You've done enough. I think he got the point." Charlie stepped back, not even breathing hard.

"She's being insecure because she has never been told that she's pretty before this stupid bond. Everyone made fun of her at school for being a bookworm, you both told me that. She's lost everything in her life except this family. Ron has pushed himself on her, yeah she came clean this morning when she slipped up about you two saving her fat outta the fire, Malfoy has pushed himself on her, hell she didn't even really get a choice in who she was going to marry or if she got to go back to school. I'm not saying she doesn't love you, because she obviously does, but you can't figure out why she's insecure? She has nothing but you and Harry that are really stable in her life and you just shook that stability. Then you wonder why she took out of here in tears, barefoot. How thick are you, Fred?" He turned and walked off into the darkness.

Fred's jaw was aching where his brother had hit him. He knew he had deserved it too. There would be no talking to Hermione tonight, she would have locked her door magically with charms so complex he wouldn't be able to break them. Ginny wouldn't be there to let him in either. She was completely alone in her insecurity, grief, and pain and that hurt him more than anything. George bent down to help him up off the ground.

"Come on, mate, let me help you. I know that bastard hits hard. Can't really say you didn't have it coming though." Fred scowled at him.

"Yeah, you think I don't that? I just wish I had realized it before. You know I wouldn't have done this on purpose. I really didn't think that she would take it that hard if I danced with Katie. Charlie put a new spin on things." George looked at him funny.

"I don't think it's that you danced with Katie. I think it's how you acted towards Katie and how you didn't act towards Hermione. You know Hermione isn't controlling." Fred sighed, knowing his brother was right.

"I'm going to go check with Mum and Dad, see if they know if she got home." George nodded.

"Want me to heal you?" Fred shook his head.

"No, I deserve this. I'm gonna wear it for a bit. Let the pain sink in. Maybe it will teach me a lesson."

He walked back in the house with George, not caring about the looks that people were giving him for the marks on his jaw. Charlie was glaring at him from the corner table he had been sitting at before. Harry and Ginny gave him concerned looks as he passed. Ginny tried to speak to him but he brushed past her. Ron looked a little triumphant but that didn't stop him in his search. He finally found his mum by the entrance, thanking the people that were leaving for coming. When she saw his approach, her eyes flared in anger.

"Mum, do you know if Hermione made it back to the Burrow alright?" She reached out and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Yes, she did, no thanks to you. Your father apparated her back, and said he would stay with her since she was in no state to protect herself if something were to happen. She told us that Charlie had offered to take her back but she asked him to stay here and watch you, so I'm assuming you are the reason she was crying her eyes out, barefoot and makeup all down her face. The girl ran outside with no shawl and no shoes for Godric's sake. I'm betting that you deserved whichever brother gave you that." He hung his head at his mother's accusations, feeling terrible that his fiance had been so distraught to leave in such a state.

"I'll go home, and sit so Dad can come back. It's all my fault, well most of it anyways. Charlie hit me, by the way, you can thank him." He headed towards the apparition point, trying to figure out just how he was going to explain to Hermione how important she was and how he was going to make her believe him.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Omg, super long. Sorry...hope y'all like some decent sized chapters. Anyways, you guys know the drill...leave me some reviews and let me know what you think!


	34. Chapter 34

A/N- Lordy, that last chapter took me two days to write! I took the weekend off since it was my baby girls ninth birthday...damn, I'm getting old! Anyways, thanks for sticking with me y'all! Enjoy the chapter (hopefullly!) and let me know what you think...yeah, you guys know the drill by now! Haha...you guys are awesome followers!

Disclaimer: I only with that I owned the Harry Potter universe. I own only the character Christine Smith.

Chapter 34 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 20, 1998

The horrors in her life were plaguing her dreams . At some point, she moved from her bed to the small window seat overlooking the orchard. After wrapping a thin blanket around her, she watched the moon make its way across the pond, like a spotlight. She couldn't be sure how long she sat there, wand in hand, watching the orchard and pond through her window. The dawning light could be seen in the distance when her eyes began to droop. She leaned her head against the window, tightened her grip on her wand, and let herself fall asleep against the frosty glass.

Hermione gave a shiver as she saw the faceless man in her dream circle her. She was tied to a chair and gagged. Hermione realized that she was naked, her whole body quivering in fear. The man circling her was caressing her skin with a knife blade, leaving no marks, but his intentions were clear. He reached down and fingered her breasts, pinching her nipples between his finger and thumb hard. Tears trailed down her face, and she felt him lean forward and lick them off her face. Suddenly there were hands in hair, pulling her head back. As she watched the surroudings above her as the man began leaving bite marks down her neck to her breasts, she realized that she was in the tent that she had shared with Harry and Ron. Her body jerked involuntarily as she felt teeth dig into her left nipple, leaving blood behind. The man jerked back as she had and turned his wand on her. The all-too-familiar pain streaked through her body like flames licking her skin. She ground her teeth together so as not to scream. A movement to the side caught her eye after the faceless man released the curse. As he used a cutting curse to carve words she couldn't read into her chest, she recognized Harry.

"Hermione? Hermione, come on, come back to me. Hermione?" Hermione was sobbing, desperate to get to her friend and away from the faceless tormentor. She knew that she was naked, but she didn't care.

"Harry! Harry, please help me. I can't get away. Harry, please you're the only one who will save me. Please, don't leave me!" Hermione knew that she must sound pathetic, but her Gryffindor courage had deserted her.

"Hermione, come on, it's a dream. I'm right here, just wake up. Hermione!" The tiny brunette's head started to move towards his voice. The blanket that she had attempted to cover up with by the window had fallen off of her long ago. Her arms were ice cold and her skin pale. Everyone else was standing back and watching on in silence.

Hermione saw her surroundings start to dissolve. She turned her head towards Harry's voice and was faintly aware of cold air. As she opened her eyes, she only saw a fuzzy figure standing above her. With her nightmare too fresh in her mind, she reacted instinctively. The wand in her hand, that had been buried in her lap, shot out towards the figure in front of her. A non-verbal stunning spell left her wand before anyone else even had the chance to pull their wands. She scrambled backwards after the spell left her wand, forgetting that she was on the window seat, and landed on the floor in her room. The pain that jolted through her lower back and up her spine cleared the residual sleep from her mind. She looked at the scene in front of her. Her wand was held aloft, pointed at most of her family. Harry was on the ground, stunned from stunning spell. Ginny was on the ground at his side. The rest of the family just stared in disbelief and silence.

Chest heaving, she threw her wand across the room, it landing in the bathroom. Tears sprung to her eyes. She crawled to Harry, aware that the rest of her family was watching. Ginny looked at her as she was smoothing his hair back, worried.

"Hermione, what the hell did you hit him with? Please tell me you know." Hermione choked a sob back as she laid her head on Harry's chest. How could she have done this to the only person in the world that she trusted completely?

"It was just a stunner, Gin, I swear it. Gods, please let him be ok. Oh my gods, I'm so sorry. What have I done?" Hermione realized that she was losing control and fought the hysteria that was threatening to take over. She slowed her breathing and took calming breaths. Bill came forward and bent to Harry's still form.

"Ennervate." Harry sucked in a deep breath and his eyes opened. Ginny leaned down and gave him a kiss. Hermione waited for Harry's eyes to settle on her. Everyone watched on in continued silence as emerald green and caramel brown met and held. Harry sat up and opened up his arms. Hermione couldn't hold back the tears that had threatened earlier. As she flew into his arms, they coursed down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Harry! I was dreaming and when I woke up, you were fuzzy just like the man in my dream. I wasn't sure if it was real or not, and I just attacked. I never meant to hurt you, I don't even know what I would have done if you had been hurt-" Harry gave a low laugh and pulled her away from his shoulder.

"I wouldn't say I'm not hurt, my shoulder hurts from falling on it. But I'm fine. You're getting better with old age, 'Mione, you never would have got the drop on me any other time. I'm just glad that you're ok now." Ginny reached over and gave her a hug. Hermione returned it, burying her face in her shoulder in humiliation at the whole scene. Her room was full of Weasleys and they had just witnessed a terrible nightmare. Wait. Her room was full of Weasleys.

"How did you all get in here? I had some pretty complex wards on my door. It would have taken somebody with a lot of free time to break through them." She looked at the assembled redheads suspiciously. Bill finally stepped forward, looking guilty.

"We all came over to tell George and Angie bye, they're leaving for Barbados. Ron was walking by and heard you screaming so he tried to get in. The door was locked so he came downstairs and I was able to unlock them with quite a bit of effort. My cursebreaking background gives me a little bit more practice with locks than everyone else." Hermione's slight frame rose to her whole 5'2" of height and her arms crossed under her breasts. Her hair began to swirl slightly as she felt her emotions rage on the verge of out of control. She felt her body begin to shake and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the lingering memory of the nightmare.

"Does anybody in this fucking family have respect for someone else's privacy?" Her breasts were heaving. Bill moved forward to put his hand on her shoulder, but was stopped by one of her trinkets exploding on the bookshelf next to them. Molly stepped forward slightly, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Hermione, dear, we were worried about you. You wouldn't answer us through the door. Don't be mad at Bill, I told him to go ahead and unlock the door. After you left the reception last night, we were worried about you. Please forgive us for intruding. We just want you to know that we love you, and we all want to help you. You aren't alone in any of this." Hermione looked at her calmly for a moment before speaking.

"I understand that you all think you're doing what's best for me. But the truth is that I'm alone in this world and I need to learn to handle the problems in my life on my own. I'll never have the strength I did before if I can't do this on my own. None of you deserve to have me bring you down. So, please, next time, just cast a better silencing charm. I always wake up. Harry, I'm truly sorry for stunning you." Hermione turned on heel, without casting her adopted family another look and walked into the bathroom to shower. She heard her bedroom door open and footsteps head out into the hallway. Then the door to the bathroom banged open, revealing Hermione in her flannel pants and a bra. Harry stalked into the room and grabbed her wrist, jerking her back into her bedroom. Fred, Charlie, and Ginny waited for her in the bedroom.

"Harry, what the bloody hell are you doing? I don't have a shirt on-" He cut her off with a cold tone as he threw her discarded shirt at her.

"I lived in a tent with you for almost a bloody year, Hermione. If you are really naive enough to think that I never saw you in your bra, you're not nearly as brilliant as I gave you credit for. Fred has seen you millions of times, Ginny is a girl, and Charlie has shagged enough witches it doesn't phase him anymore. Put your damn shirt on. Then we're talking." She glared at him as she threaded her arms back through the arm holes. The tank top provided no protection from the cool air, so she clutched her arms around herself after she was finished. She watched as Harry handed his wand to Ginny. He advanced on her.

"Hermione, I'm not sure where you got this bullshit about not having anyone in the world but it needs to stop right now. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Everyone else is going through shit too, and even if you don't want to believe it, they ARE worried about you. I was scared to death when you wouldn't answer the bloody door. Molly didn't really tell Bill to open the door, I did. I knew it would piss you off, but I was willing to risk you hating me to make sure that you were safe." Hermione wasn't willing to give in, not after she had been woken up in the middle of a torture/rape dream, and then thrust out in front of people without a shirt. Harry had gone too far. She didn't pay attention to anyone else in the room. Ginny, Fred, and Charlie, who had remained silent, faded into the background. She held out her hand and her wand flew into it from the bathroom. She remained still and spoke quietly.

"Harry James Potter, I understand completely that everyone is 'worried about me'. But I have to do this on my own. Before you ask why, it's because whenever I lean on someone and trust them to be there to help, they fuck me over. It's easier to just rely on myself. You were the only person I had left. That nightmare I just had, I saw you. I begged you to save me, and you did. You were there, just like you always have been. But the cost was too high. They all saw my dream, you couldn't have just come in by yourself? Every girl wants an audience while she's being raped and tortured by a faceless figure in the ratty tent we hid away in for a year. Then you come in the bathroom and throw me out in front of people with no shirt on and act like it's nothing. Modesty might mean nothing to you, but it's something to me. I don't show myself to just anyone, or act like it's nothing. You really took a page out of Ron's book on this one." Her eyes were flashing as she turned to walk towards the bathroom again. Harry reached out and grabbed her wand, wrenching it out of her hand. As she lunged for it, he gave her a steady push back into the bathroom door. Fury was flashing through his eyes.

"Hermione, don't you ever compare me to Ron. I haven't forced myself on you. I won't ever do that. You need to get your shit straight. I don't know what happened with Fred last night, and I don't care. You two need to get your shit together. The Hermione I know doesn't go out and just get wasted because she can't handle what some random guy said to her about how great she was in the war." Hermione registered surprise on Ginny's face that Harry had said that to her. She pulled back her hand, bunched up her fist, and hit him in the jaw. She would probably regret it later, but she couldn't bring herself to at that moment.

"No, you haven't forced yourself on me, but you sure threw me out here without a shirt and didn't care that I didn't like it. You don't care that I was mortified that your whole family saw me hex you because I woke up and thought you were the faceless person from my dream. You take my wand from me, shove me against a door. You're being a bully, just like Malfoy used to be. I won't let you bully me. I'm not some scared little mudblood mutt anymore that has to have her friends behind her. I've withstood more than most people. When you can talk to me and not try to bully your point of view across to me, then find me." She turned once more to walk back into the bathroom but Harry reached up and grabbed her shoulders. He slammed her into the bathroom door, not hard enough to break it, but hard enough to make her wince. His fist came down to make a hole in the door, a foot from her face. A tear escaped her eye as Harry was jerked away from her.

Fred had finally taken action, jerking Harry away from Hermione when he saw him slam her into the bathroom door. After pushing Harry against the wall opposite of Hermione, Fred put his forearm against his neck. The swirling fury that had been present in his green eyes was fading and was almost completely gone. Charlie had his arms crossed, standing between Hermione and Ginny and Fred and Harry.

"I swear to Merlin, Potter, you ever touch her again, I will kill you. That extends to my sister as well. What the fuck has gotten into you?" Before Harry could respond, Charlie walked over and looked into Harry's face.

"Potter, I like you. I never pegged you as losing control like that. But I am warning you. You ever lose control like that with my sister, I'll fucking kill you. Fred, here, has you handled for Hermione but I will kill you if you hurt Ginny." There were tears starting to collect in the corners of Harry's eyes. Fred let him down and he glanced at Ginny comforting Hermione. Harry walked slowly towards Hermione, who watched him warily as he approached. He dropped to his knees in front of her, reaching out to grab her hand in his.

"Hermione, you're completely right. I was being a bully and I'm so sorry. I just wanted to get my point across so badly. I hate seeing you miserable. I know that you and Fred will work out whatever is between you, but there's more to this than that. You won't let anyone else in. You can't go through life and just count on one person. This whole family cares for you. Sometimes, they'll let you down, because people make mistakes. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't count on them. Let them love you. They won't suffer for it, I promise. Just give them a chance. Learn to lean on people. I had to, didn't I? And I'm so sorry for this. I never in a million years thought I would be capable of something like this, especially against you. You aren't the only one with dreams, you know. I hear your screams almost every night. I see Ginny passed out along with them. I see myself enjoying turning my wand on you two. Killing you. Please believe me when I say that you aren't alone." Hermione burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Her body shook with sobs and Harry held her until she quieted. When she pulled away, Harry took the wand that Ginny gave him and handed it to her.

"Wanna hex me? It'll make you feel better." She laughed as she wiped her cheeks. Ginny hid a smile behind her hand. Hermione shook her head no.

"No, I already stunned you, remember? I think we're even. You guys should pass on to everyone else though, that if you're going to wake me up from a nightmare, make sure my bloody wand isn't anywhere near since apparently now I can summon it from a distance." The three people witnessing their reunion laughed lightly. Ginny walked over and offered her arm to Harry.

"Come on, let's go downstairs. We've had enough action for a week. George and Angelina will be leaving in an hour or so." Fred came forward to help Hermione off the floor, knowing that the hit to the door had to hurt her back more than she let on. Charlie shot Fred a look, one Hermione didn't quite understand, but then he was gone.

After Hermione had stood up, she tried to avoid meeting eyes with Fred. She just wanted to go take a shower. Her muscles were shredded and she was freezing. However, he pulled her into his arms carefully, as if he knew that she was in pain, and wrapped his warm arms around her. Even though she appreciated the warmth, she was still hurt. Her body was rigid in his embrace. When she felt him sigh, she pulled back, arms still crossed in front of her.

"I'm going to go take a shower. I want to tell George and Angelina goodbye and congratulations before they leave. And apologize to everyone for my appalling behavior." He didn't say anything but let her go. As she turned, she caught sight of the mark on his jaw but said nothing.

She went into the bathroom, stripping her clothes, and got into the shower. Enjoying the effect the hot water was having on her muscles, she stayed in longer than normal. Due to lack of sleep, she didn't look as good as normal, regardless of the makeup and styled hair. Fred was waiting for her patiently as she left the bathroom.

"I didn't expect you to wait on me. I took a long time trying to look better than I do. You could have went downstairs." He just smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her hand before leading her out of the room and down the stairs.

The living room was loud and full of bustle. Bill and Molly threw a few furtive glances Hermione's way, but nobody brought the incident from Hermione's bedroom up. Ginny and Harry shot her reassuring smiles. While she gathered food on her plate, Charlie threw an arm around her shoulder.

"I hit him in the mouth for you, you know. He came home right after you last night. Stayed up in the living room all night and sent Dad back to the party. I know you haven't talked to him by the way you two are acting, so I thought you should know everything that happened after you left. I'm not telling you what to do, by any means, but if you need me, I'm here for you." She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a side-hug.

"Thanks, Charlie. You're a good brother. You didn't have to hit him, but thanks for listening to me whine last night." He laughed as he released her.

"You were venting, not whining. You take everything in stride, rarely complaining. Just make sure you talk to him today. You're just going to stay miserable the longer you two fight." He shot her another grin and walked off to find a seat by Christine. Hermione stood in the kitchen by herself for a few minutes pondering Charlie's words. She didn't know what she was going to do about the Fred situation. He was right, she was miserable not talking to him but he had hurt her. She recalled Arthur's reaction when he had seen her the night before, barefoot and tearstricken, begging him to take her back home. He had immediately complied but was unhappy at yielding no results from his questioning. She had wanted to flee to the dock, but Arthur refused to let her out of the house due to her advanced state of inebriation. Instead, she had trudged upstairs and tried to find sleep but it had eluded her. Deciding to get her family apology over with, she entered the living room and cleared her throat. Everyone's attention swung to her.

"I just wanted to apologize to everyone for my actions earlier. I had no right to speak to any of you like that, nor make any assumptions that you don't care about me. Harry made me realize that I was wrong to shut you all out. I will no longer lock my door except for a simple locking charm that everyone should be able to undo. And I please ask, if you're brave enough to wake me from a bloody nightmare, take my wand. I really don't want to hurt anyone." Remembering Harry on the floor after her spell made her wince visibly. Charlie stood up and spun her around with a smile on her face.

"Hermione, you worry about us too much. Us Weasley's are made of tough stuff. We can handle your wimpy spells. I guess I can include Potter in that statement since he did technically survive two killing curses." The room broke out in laughter and Hermione felt a small grin spread across her face. She shoved him playfully in the shoulder and sat down next to Ginny and George and began to nibble at her food. Even though the meal was lovely, she had no appetite.

George and Angelina were getting ready to depart for their international portkey that would take them to Barbados for the week. Hermione was jealous. The thought of laying on a beach just soaking up the sun with a book in her hand sounded like heaven. The final goodbyes broke her reverie. When the door opened, a cool breeze blew through the house, causing her shiver. She felt large hands begin to rub up and down her arms from behind, warming her instantly. Turning, she saw that Fred had been standing behind her. Looking down at her for just a moment, he pulled her gently back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her chest, over the top of her arms. His familiar scent and warmth enveloped her. She wasn't relaxed, but she was warm. If she stayed like this too long, however, she would fall asleep. Nightmares and wild thoughts of the man you loved with another woman didn't make for a good nights sleep.

Once George and Angelina had departed, the rest of the people in the Burrow continued to converse about the beautiful ceremony and plans for the upcoming week. Hermione was reminded that she was going to be at the shop full time this week to help since George would be gone. That thought made her eyes want to droop even more. Ginny walked by talking animatedly.

"Hermione, you want to watch one of those movie things with me? The boys are going to go to Diagon Alley to walk about and I just don't feel like going." Hermione nodded at her, thankful for the distraction. She really needed to stay awake so she would sleep tonight. She pulled away from Fred's warm frame and followed Ginny into the living room, letting her choose the movie. Ginny settled in the arm chair across the room and Hermione curled up like a cat at the end of the couch. She kept up small chatter with Ginny until the movie started to get good, then Ginny became engrossed in the storyline. Hermione felt herself shiver again but was too drained to get a blanket. She felt her eyes drifting close and fought it at first. But as she felt the familiar warmth and scent envelope her once more, she gave in to her urges and let sleep take her under.

Fred knew that she was cold, that she had been since she had woken up. He had fought the urge the go to her, knowing she didn't want him near her. She hadn't fought him yet when he had taken her in his arms, but she hadn't been welcoming. She had been stiff and unfeeling. He knew it was his fault for breaking her trust again. Knowing that she was trying to be strong in front of the family, he had let her be and had been glad that Charlie had gone to her. He wasn't sure what he had said to her but she needed someone. When he had seen he fighting sleep on the couch, it all made sense. She had been up all night, and what little sleep she had had was riddled with nightmares. Nightmares he didn't want to even think about it. When he had wrapped his arms around her again, she had melted into him, breathing in deeply, and had fallen straight to sleep. He brushed her long hair off her face, pressed a kiss to her temple, and conjured a blanket to wrap around her. Ginny watched from the other side of the room thoughtfully.

After a fair amount of quiet, Fred decided that he no idea how to mend things with Hermione. Charlie had been unhelpful, only demanded that he fix things. George had no suggestions other than beg for forgiveness and buy her gifts. Fred was not stupid enough to even try buying her gifts. That might sway some girls, but Hermione wasn't some girls. He didn't dare ask Harry and Ron wouldn't want to help him at all. Fred finally decided to do the one thing he swore he would never do.

"Gin, I need your help." Her head swung over to meet his gaze, one of total surprise. He knew she talked to Hermione, but never him. Not about personal things like this. She simply raised her eyebrows.

"Does this have to do with that nice bruise on your jaw?" Fred gave her a lopsided grin that was completely lost on her. She didn't fall for his charm. He blew out breath out of his nose.

"Yeah, Charlie got in two good hits. And I deserved them. I don't know how to make it right though. I have no fucking idea how. No excuse for how I acted, nothing. I was just stupid." He gave a quick wave of his wand around Hermione, casting silencing charms.  
"I didn't know you lot had upset her, or that bloke that danced with her, or even that her back hurt, because I hadn't talked to her since we ate. We were great until then. I was talking to Oliver Wood and Katie Bell came up to me and started talking to me. She was going on about quidditch and how we needed to catch a match sometime and then started telling me how she was thinking about turning her hair blond, like Luna's. By this time, we were leaning over and talking in each other's ears because of the music. I asked her to dance. After we danced, I kissed her hand and I left her on the floor. Next thing I know, Charlie is behind me and George and tells me that he was getting drunk with Mia and then she left in tears mad at me. I followed him outside, George with me of course, nosy sod, and he tells me bout how Mia was upset because she had only wanted to dance with me and I never asked her but she couldn't dance anymore because her back hurt. Went on about how she was mad about Ron telling her he was going to take her home by himself, Harry reminding her of Malfoy, you spurting out about Harry and Ron's fight, and then me flirting with some girl that I had shagged in school. Asked me if I had shagged Katie and I said yes, but Mia knew that she meant nothing and I didn't understand why she was being so insecure. Charlie hit me twice and told me Hermione had never been told she was pretty before me this bond, always made fun of. Reminded me that she had no real family,been tortured and cut up twice, one of her best friends had turned on her, she'd been attacked by Malfoy and she thinks her parents were murdered. He then went on to point out that the only stability she has are Harry and I and by seeing me flirt with an old fling when I hadn't even acknowledged her presence at the reception, she had just lost the stability she thought she had with me. By the time I got here, she was already locked in her room. Now after the dream she had, Harry and her's fight, I just don't know what else to do or what to say to make it right. She hasn't had a dream like that, that I know of. I don't know what triggered it, but it scares me. But right now, I want to fix us, and I have no idea how. Please tell me you can help me." Ginny had listened in silence but she now gave him a hard look.

"You're a git, you know that, right? I'll help you for her sake, because I won't be enough for her. I don't know if things will ever be the same between she and Harry after this morning but we can hope. Until then, she is going to need you. So tell me, why did you ignore her, and why did you flirt with someone you had shagged in the past?" Fred squirmed a little at his sister's glare but gave her an answer.

"Honestly, I didn't mean to ignore her. I would just get caught up talking to peope and get sidetracked. I saw her dance with Ron and Charlie, and then some bloke that I kind of recognized, but then she disappeared. I'm used to her always taking care of herself at family parties and such. I just thought that if she needed me, she would find me. I honestly thought she would be off with you and Harry. She had told me to enjoy my day with my twin. As for Katie, I really wasn't trying to flirt with her. I didn't even think about how it would look to anyone else until Charlie pointed it out. It would look like me playing with her hair, whispering in her ear, then dancing with her. I had done the same thing with Angelina so it really didn't click in my brain that it would bother her. Not until Charlie spelled it all out for me. Even George told me that Mia wouldn't have been mad at me for dancing with her if I had paid her more attention. And yes, I know I'm a git."

"Git doesn't cover it, Fred. She knows your favorite color is blue. We shopped for that dress for three hours so she would have the perfect dress for you. I told her you would love those heels because they made her legs look amazing. They were four inch heels, Fred! She was content to let you dance the night away and have your fun, that's why she settled down to drink with Charlie, the only one of us who hadn't pissed her off. She said that her back hurt and that's why she was drinking. If she was off with him, she wouldn't be bothering you. Seeing you with your ex flame pressed all over you, yes I saw you Fred, she looked like she wanted a bite out of you, probably did do her in. Especially after going to all that preparation to look nice for you and then being ignored." He laid his head against the top of Hermione's head, feeling even more guilty now if that was possible.

"Yes, Gin, I know. I'm a fucking idiot, ok! Just tell me how I can fix it. I really have no excuse other than being stupid. Please help me." Hermione stirred a little, despite the silencing charms, and snuggled down deeper in his chest. He tightened his arms around her as he felt Ginny regard him carefully. Finally, she sighed.

"You don't deserve help. You deserve for her to be mad at you for a good long while, but she would just be miserable. Tell her exactly what you just told me and be completely honest. Tell her you have no excuse except that you're an idiot. If it's the truth, it's the best you can do. She'll either forgive you or she won't. But at least you won't have given her some retarded half-arsed story that she picks apart with just a few questons. She'll know it's the truth. If I know Hermione, she'll forgive you eventually. I'm glad that Charlie hit you though. I don't have to try to hex you around Hermione right now." She gave him a small smile. Fred flashed her a bright smile.

"Thanks, Gin, I really appreciate it. I swore I'd never ask you for help on my love life but I guess that's before I got matched with your best friend." She broke out in a triumphant smile and wore it until Harry and Ron returned from Diagon Alley.

Fred worked himself out from under Hermione, noticing that she had curled up more since she had left his warm chest. Once he had stretched and felt his back crack for the first time, he bent to pick up her still form to carry her upstairs. After she had snuggled into his warmth again, he met his mother in the doorway to the kitchen. She brushed a hand against Hermione's forehead.

"Poor dear. She needs rest. Her skin is so cold, make sure you put enough blankets on her. She's far too stressed out and sometimes I think the family just adds to her stress." Fred patted his mums shoulder as he continued up the stairs. Hermione's fingers clutched at his shirt and whimpered softly. He looked down at her at the top of the stairs, he saw that her expression had changed. Her brows were now furrowed. Getting her into her room, he laid her carefully on her bed. He waved his wand and changed her from the jeans and short sleeved shirt she had been wearing to light blue lounge pants and a tank top. As he was bending to cover her, she whimpered again. He steeled himself to her reaction.

"Mia, love? Mia, wake up. You're dreaming, Hermione." He gently shook her shoulder and for a moment there was no response. All of a sudden, her eyes opened wide in terror and she grasped his arm while dragging in deep breaths. She shuddered in his arms and he could only imagine what she was dreaming of. Leaning against his chest, he felt her begin to cry. He didn't say anything, just stroked her hair and held her. Eventually she calmed and laid back down on her pillow. He laid down next to her and pulled her onto his shoulder. She went willingly and took the comfort he gave, but offered no words.

Hermione couldn't believe that she had dreamed again. She had felt so warm and safe curled into Fred's chest on the couch. Her nightmare hadn't been as horrific as the one this morning, just another of her parents being tortured and murdered. Honestly, she wasn't sure why he was back in her room with her, comforting her, but she was in no shape to turn it down. He fingered her hair as he held her close, reminding her of the night before when he had played with Katie's hair. Jealousy flashed through her veins but was overrode by the hurt in her heart. Squeezing her eyes closed, she willed herself not to cry at the thought. He had come home and stayed with her, even if she had locked him out and been oblivious to his presence. As if sensing her inner monologue, Fred rolled her off of him and sat up. She stayed in the spot he had left her, but curled up a little more due to the lost warmth. He reached out and held her hand, the same one that Harry had held earlier that morning.

"Hermione, I want to apologize for last night. I will explain everything and answer any question you have, but the only excuse I have for my actions is that I'm an idiot who doesn't always know what I'm doing. I never meant to ignore you. I'm used to you being at family parties where you don't need or want a babysitter. I just got caught up talking and never made it back to you. Pathetic, I know. I really have nothing else though. As for Katie, I didn't really think that it was flirting until Charlie explained what it looked like from his point of view. We couldn't hear each other, that's why we were talking in each other's ears. I was doing the same thing to Angie and her mum and almost every other girl I danced with. When I played with her hair, it's because she said she was going to change the color of it to Luna's color. I told her it would look awful. I really wasn't trying to flirt with her. Like I said, I'm an idiot and that's the only excuse I have. After Charlie told me you were upset and you had left, I went home to be with you but you had locked your door. I stayed downstairs to give you space but I never went back. I didn't even tell you how amazing you looked. Please forgive me, Hermione." He rubbed circles on the top of her hand over the spot where she had broken it on Malfoy's face. He waited for her to process what he had said. Finally, she raised her eyes and caramel brown met with crystal blue.

"You hurt me, Fred. I won't lie about that. I believe you when you say you didn't mean to, you didn't mean to hurt me. You've never meant to hurt me. I forgive you, even though I feel like a complete idiot for doing it, like I'm handing you my heart to break it again. Just please, don't hurt me again. I know I sound pathetic. I know that I'm not that pretty. But I do love you. Just don't hurt me. I don't know if I could take it." She dropped her eyes and let out a squeak when he pulled her up into his arms.

"Mia, I won't ever hurt you again. I love you more than anything. You're not pathetic, trust me. And quit talking down on yourself, you're beautiful. I couldn't be happier than I am when I'm with you." He gave her a lingering kiss as he held her face between his hands. Two tears tracked down her face and he wiped them away before pulling him into his chest. They remained in that position for she wasn't sure how long-minutes, hours. When she pulled away, he smiled down at her.

"Freddie, can I go back to sleep? I'm so tired and cold." He nodded to her request, laying down so she could use his arm as a pillow. Pulling her curvy form closer to him, she shivered. He wrapped his arm tightly around her and she snuggled into his warmth. Her breath evened out as he pressed a final kiss to the crook of her neck. He laid in the darkness for awhile waiting for the nightmares, but they didn't come. As he fell asleep, he remembered her smile when he had spun her in the air after George's wedding ceremony, making him clutch her to him even tighter.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Whew! Kind of an emotional chapter, which I am not the best at, so be kind! Hope that you guys liked it...thoughts on the Harry situation? I'm not sure what to do with that...leave it with being good or make it all weird. Let me know...Later y'all!


	35. Chapter 35

A/N- Thank you, as always, to everyone that is taking their time to read, review, follow, and favorite this story! It means a lot (: If you guys have questions, please feel free to leave them in a review or a PM me. I've reread the story and tried to catch the little questions that I've left open that I can answer now (some things are left open for a reason!), but feel free to ask...Anyways, I'm going to get on with the chapter now and quit boring you!

Disclaimer: I own Christine Smith. Everything else, I am just toying with. You know the drill.

Chapter 35 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` October 30, 1998

Hermione groaned to herself as she searched through the medicine cabinet in the loo. She was completely out of contraception potion. How could she not have remembered to brew any yesterday? Now it wouldn't be ready til tomorrow. Hermione shook her head and continued to get ready to work in the shop.

She hummed her favorite muggle song to herself as she flitted down the stairs to breakfast, shivering slightly. The long-sleeved red shirt usually kept her warm enough in the past, but was failing dismally today. After taking her customary seat next to Fred, Hermione turned her attention to Molly.

"Happy birthday, Molly. How about you let me cook tonight? You do so much for all of us, you deserve a night off." Molly smiled at her but shook her head.

"Bill owled me this morning and asked if we all would like to go out to eat at the new restaurant in Diagon Alley for my birthday. I told him that we would all meet him there at six thirty. Unless that time doesn't work for you and Fred, then we can change it..." Fred smiled at his mother.

"Mum, that's fine. If we have to close just a few minutes early, we will. It's your birthday, we wouldn't miss it." Molly patted his cheek as she loaded Hermione's plated with warm eggs and toast. She ate a few bited and pushed the rest around her plate. Fred took her hand in his warm one, squeezing it.

"You haven't been eating much lately, Mia. You feeling ok?" Hermione felt Charlie and Ron look up at her as she forced herself to take another bite of egg.

"Yes, I feel fine, just haven't had an appetite. Stress, I suppose." He leaned in and kissed her on the temple, keeping hold of her hand. The table continued to eat in silence, except for the sounds of Molly washing dishes and the scraping of forks on plates. Finally Fred pushed away from the table, ready to head to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes for the day. Hermione stood and drew her heavy cloak around her. Charlie, Percy, and Ron all stood as well to head to work for the day, making promises to meet at the wizarding restaurant that evening. After pressing kisses to their mother's cheek and then Hermione's, they all left with a pop. Fred walked Hermione to the apparition point, arm wrapped around her waist, and dragged her into the familiar tube of nothingness that was apparition.

Once they were in the warmth of the shop, Hermione put her hand in Fred's elbow before he could find George. He turned to her, drawing her into his arms. She gave him a coy smile before laying her head on his chest and threading her arms around his slim waist. He tipped her chin up to him, lowering his mouth to hers. The taste of lemons assualted her as his tongue gained entrance into her mouth. His hand went to the nape of her neck and got tangled in her hair. When he broke the kiss, she was breathless.

"Mia, you taste so good, I could just take you right here, I don't think -" She cut him off.

"Freddie, we can't. I'm out of potion. I forgot to brew any yesterday. I'll start some today but it won't be ready until tomorrow and you know that the contraception spells aren't that effective." He cursed loudly and then dipped back in for another kiss. When he surrendered her mouth from this one, her knees were weak.

"You know, Frederick, you're not making this any easier. Go find George and get to work. Why don't you start me some bloody potion if he's not here yet! The sooner you start it, the sooner I can take it." She shoved him towards the back room and he shot her a mischevious grin. Heading towards the register, she made a mental list of the things she needed to get done for the shop that day. Hermione readied the register and lowered the wards, letting Seamus, Lee, and Dean in. Customers began to trickle in, smiiling children, scowling mothers. Hermione was pleasant to them all. She was sure that some of the items she was selling were going to play horrible pranks for the Halloween holiday. The day seemed to creep by, taking it's time, maybe because she was looking forward to a night out with her family.

Finally, the day drew to a close. Fred and George could be heard in the back room makes jokes with one another and Lee, Seamus, and Dean were stocking shelves noisily. Hermione set the register back to normal and counted out the profits for the day. Halloween had been good for business.

"How was business, love?" Hermione jumped, hand to her chest, as Fred laid his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Fred, that's not funny. You just scared the life right out of me. And it was good, very good. I think Halloween might have something to do with it." She gave a small grin as he began to trail small kisses down her neck.  
"Stop it, you know we can't. Here, take the money to Gringott if you can't behave. Take your brother with you." She swatted him away with a smile.

"You know, you're still awfully bossy. Make a potion, deliver money. It's a good thing you're beautiful and I love you." He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "But you should come with us. You can't go to the restaurant alone. I'd rather you be with Georgie and I." Hermione sighed and nodded. She remembered her promise to Charlie about agreeing to be with the family.

"I suppose I can go with you. Since you're so devilishly charming and all." After flashing him a grin, she made for her cloak. While Fred set the wards, she and George waited patiently. Grasping hands, they disapparated to Gringotts, where they left their profits in the hands of the goblins. Once the appropriate paperwork had been filed, they joined hands once again and disapparated to the restaurant to meet the rest of the family.

The Wizard Trap was a popular place, a line leading out the door in the Alley. Hermione hugged her cloak around herself tighter as she faced the fact that she would have to wait a while to get in the warm building. The wind had picked up a little, swirling her long straight hair around her face. George pointed out Bill seated at a table in the back of the restaurant through a window.

"I'm going to go in and ask if we can go sit down. It's pointless to stand out here and freeze if we already have a table." Hermione nodded, her teeth already starting to chatter. Fred was rubbing her arms, trying to circulate the blood. George walked off in the direction of the door.

"Mia, I'm starting to get worried. You're always cold. You don't eat much. I'm scared you're getting sick." She leaned forward and burrowed her face into his warm chest.

"I don't feel sick, Freddie. I just don't feel hungry. I eat when I AM hungry. And I don't know why I've been so cold lately. You're pretty good at keeping me warm though." He hooked his arms behind her back and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I love keeping you warm. It means I get to keep you right up next to me all night long and wrap my-" George interrupted his banter this time.

"They're going to let us in since Bill has a table reserved. Come on, Hermione is freezing her tail off. I think her lips are blue." Fred released her from his arms but led her by the hand into the warm restaurant. The maitre'd led them to the table where Bill, Fleur, Harry, Ginny, and Angelina were already waiting. He seated them and brought them glasses of wine. George and Angelina entertained the group with stories of Barbados and the beach, and the small group was laughing in short time. Molly and Arthur were the next to arrive followed shortly after by Charlie and Christine. Percy and Penelope arrived a few minutes late, blaming it on work, followed by Ron and Lavender, blaming it on Lavender's mum.

The waiter came with menus and everyone made their choices, all vowing to try something different. Hermione finally chose an Italian dish she had never heard of, hoping that she would like it, knowing that if she didn't Fred or George would surely eat it. The large group bickered on in usual fashion, garnering stares from nearby tables, but nobody let this bother them. The Weasleys paid nobody else any mind. Fred and George were attempting to play a prank on Percy while he was eating but he was too wise for their tricks. Hermione was chatting with Ginny about her day, the customers she had waited on, and the pranks that she had overhead at the shop. Harry told the table about he and Ron's auror training while Charlie boomed laughter at everyone's stories.

Before dessert had been served Bill stood up and raised his glass. Fleur was beaming.

"I want to say a special happy birthday to mum. You do so much for all of us, and we rarely take the time to thank you for what you do. After the damned war, we should all take the time to appreciate each other a little more, knowing the every day could be our last. Mum, we had no idea what to get you for your birthday but I'm hoping that the news that you're going to be a grandma round the middle of May will be good enough." Molly's eyes went wide and her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes looked wet. She turned to Arthur and he grasped her hand and smiled at her. She turned back to Bill and Fleur and put her hand on her chest.

"Really? A grandma?" Bill and Fleur both nodded, smiles on their faces.

"That's the best gift I've ever gotten aside from my own children! Oh, I'm so excited!" Molly rose from her chair and went to hug first Bill and then Fleur. The rest of the table was talking excitedly. Faint 'I'm going to be an aunt' and 'I'm going to be an uncle's could be heard up and down the table. Charlie and Percy were congratulating Bill while Christine, Hermione, and Ginny were excitedly talking about babies with Fleur. Fred and George were already talking about the epic pranks that they were going to teach their neice or nephew. Harry was the next to address the table.

"Hey, this means the baby will only be just over a year older than Teddy, his birthday is in the middle of April. Hopefully, they'll by the best of friends." This started more chatter about having boys or girls and possible names. Molly looked dazed and happy. Arthur kissed her hand, but looked just as happy himself.  
After dessert was served and final congratulations were offered, the table broke up to return to their respective homes. Fred and Hermione joined hands and apparated to Burrow, where they retired to the living room to watch the telly for a bit.

Hermione sat on the couch with Fred's head in her lap, him flipping through the few channels, she through a book. She started as she felt his hand rub her belly absentmindedly. Paying it no mind, she continued through her book, making decent progress. She began to smile, however, when she felt his fingers slide under the fabric of her shirt and caress her bare skin. Soon, she felt his lips just below her navel, pressing a light kiss on her skin, and she set her book down. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead.

"Want to go to bed, Freddie?" He had a different look in his eyes. They were smoldering with desire but they were different. He nodded. She smiled down at him. After turning off the telly, he pulled her up the stairs to her room, closing, locking, and silencing the door with one effective wave of his wand. She gave him a confused look. Fred guided her to the bed and laid her down. After pressing kisses all over her abdomen, he then traced patterns over her ivory skin. Hermione said nothing, just took in his strange behavior. When he laid his head on her belly, she ran her fingers through his hair, making him sigh.

"I'm jealous, Mia. I'm jealous of my brother. They're having a baby. I didn't realize how badly I wanted a baby til they said they were having one. I want to see your belly all swollen with my baby. I want to be able to rub your belly and know that a part of us is in there and I put it there. I want to see a baby at your breast, knowing that it's mine. I want to hold my child. I want to see a baby with my hair and your eyes and your brains. Am I terrible for being jealous of my brother?" Her grip tightened in his hair at his words. She guided his head to look at her. She gave him a small smile.

"If you're terrible, then so am I. I want one too. January can't come fast enough, you know that?" His breath hitched at her words and he launched himself towards her mouth. His hands caught her face, and his lips caught hers. It was sweet release. Their tongues battled once again. Her bottom lip stung for a moment after he bit it, but his tongue soothed it after he licked it. His tongue trailed its way down her jawline to her ear, where he nibbled. She sucked on his neck, leaving a mark.

He didn't bother taking her shirt off. He ripped it off. Sucking and nibbling his way down to her breasts, she grasped his neck, guiding him on the path best to take. His hands roamed over her body, taking in every inch of her creamy skin. He pulled off of her and shrugged out of his shirt, not even noticing that she was slithering out of her pants. She was pressing kisses to his chest, running her hands over his arms and back. Reaching his hips, she ran her hands under the waistband of his pants. Fred couldn't hold back the moan that had been building. He sat up to remove his pants and looked down at her, panting with need. Lowering his mouth to her sex, he flicked his tongue up and down on her slit. She gasped audibly, and when he caught the center of her pleasure, she wound her hands in his hair and moaned. With just a few more flicks of his tongue, the coil inside her had released and her back arched.

Before she had a chance to think, Fred moved to enter her. Inch by inch, he entered slowly, torturously. She grasped his hips, trying to hurry him. Once all of his length was in her, he acquiesced and sped up his pace. She met his pace, thrusting her hips into his, almost making him cum. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair, peaches, and drove into her hard. She moaned with pleasure, biting him on the neck. Her velvety walls tightened around him and he finally gave into the urge to empty himself deep inside her.

Once they had caught their breath and simple cleansing spells cast, he pulled her petite form to his. He stroked her hair with one hand while lightly brushing the flesh of her belly with the hand possessively thrown around her waist. She finally spoke when he was sure that she had fallen asleep.

"You know that I haven't taken a contraceptive potion, right? And we didn't even use a spell." He kissed the back of her neck.

"I know, love. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. The thought of you with my baby was just too much. If we did just get you pregnant, we'll move up the wedding so nobody will know the difference, alright?" She nodded on the pillow.

"It's not just your fault though. I knew and I could have stopped it. I guess we're both hormone fueled and baby-crazed. But I'm definetly taking the potion tomorrow. We can try, officially, once we're married." She turned her head back to look at him. "Is this what it feels like to be you all the time, living on the edge?" She gave him a wide smile when he nodded. "I kind of like it." He gave her a booming laugh that kind of reminded her of Charlie.

"No more of this kind of serious living on the edge though until we're married though. Seriously." He tried to look at her without smiling but failed. He gave her a chaste kiss.

"Go to sleep, Mia. Tomorrow is Halloween. Busy day. Don't worry, I'll keep you warm." She smiled at him and snuggled into his chest. Fred couldn't help but hope, however, that their night of irresponsible passion would lead to their own little bundle of joy.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` So...kinda short, but hopefully cute. Not exactly how I wanted it to turn out, but they can't all. Anyways, let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!  



	36. Chapter 36

A/N- Alright, finally a pregnancy has been announced (: Children will not be following the epilogue (obviously) but I still wanted to make Bill and Fleur first! Hope you all are enjoying the story still, I know that there has been some angst in there. I'm not the best at emotional scenes, but hang with me! Once more into wedded bliss, my friends (: On a more personal note, I just enrolled my daughter in the fourth grade...I'm feeling a touch old right about now! However, I've done something right, she adores Harry Potter (: Thanks for being some rockstar readers!

Disclaimer: I own the character Christine Smith and the plot, as it pertains to this fanfiction.

Chapter 36 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 1, 1998 Percy & Penelope's Wedding

Hermione grinned at the flurry of movement in the kitchen. Arthur and Molly were trying to get their cloaks on and leave for the Ministry to make it on time for Percy's wedding. However, their progress was impeded by George and Ron trying to wheedle the whereabouts of the biscuits from their mother. Molly's voice carried into the living room, where the rest of the family could hear her judgement.

"You are not getting the biscuits, they're for the dinner tonight at the restaurant. I told Penny that I would bring them and she told her family. If I didn't bring them it would be bad manners. Now scat!" A snapping sound that could only have been a towel could be heard and both boys hurried into the living room with wild grins on their faces. Arthur stuck his head into the living room.

"We're leaving now, you all be good and stay out of trouble. I fully expect to come home to a house that's still standing. Bill, you're in charge." Ginny scoffed and shot her father a look of disdain.

"Dad, you act like we're all still ten. We're adults. We don't need someone to be in charge." Bill stifled a laugh as their father raised his eyebrows and shook his head before leaving the room. The group continued watching the telly until they heard the floo activate and shut off, indicating that their parents were gone.

After a half hour of near silence, (Hermione didn't mind, she was enjoying a book by the fire) George stood up and surveyed the people in the room.

"This is bloody boring. I'm not sitting here for Merlin knows how long and waiting on them. Who's up for a game of quidditch?" The silence that had been looming before was shattered by excited talk. Hermione noticed that an argument had broken out between Bill and Fleur over her being able to play or not. It started out in whispers but became quite heated. Eventually they were yelling and the family was taking sides.

"Fleur, you're not playing! What if you fall? You could hurt yourself or the baby!" Ginny was quick to take Fleur's side.

"Bill, women play quidditch pregnant all the time. I'm sure that Hermione would have no problems watching from the ground to cast a cushioning charm if she falls. Let her play, quit being so controlling!" Bill turned on Ginny at these harsh words.

"Until you're pregnant yourself and have to worry about something other than your own selfish existence, don't even begin to tell me that I'm being controlling! Stay out of this, this is between Fleur and I!" This outburst caused Harry and Fleur both to start in on Bill, Harry louder than Fleur.

"Don't you dare yell at her, Bill! She's taking up for your wife, for Melin's sake. You aren't even letting Fleur have a say, just telling her how it's going to be. That's kind of controlling if you ask me!" Anger had caused red to flush Harry's cheeks and he had stepped up next to Ginny, grabbing her by the hand. At this point, Fleur had started to cry. Hermione rushed to her side, putting an arm around her, comforting her. The sound of her quiet tears seemed to have an effect on the Weasley family and they calmed, but Bill and Ginny were still shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.

Hermione brushed Fleur's silver hair from her cheeks and smiled reassuringly at her. Angelina rose and came to Fleur's other side and gave her a hug. The room was silent for a few minutes while everyone got a hold of their tempers. Finally Fred spoke up to break the tension.

"Only in the Weasley family, can we all want to kill each other over quidditch." The room burst out in quiet laughter, even Fleur. Finally Bill looked at Fleur.

"I'm sorry, love, Ginny's right. I didn't talk to you, I just told you what you were doing. I just really don't want you to play. Not that I don't have complete confidence in Hermione's cushioning charms, but more that I'm worried about you getting hurt by a bludger. There's enough of us to actually have beaters. If we ever play and we don't have bludgers, you can play if Hermione agrees to cast a charm if you fall. Will you agree to that?" Fleur nodded.

"I agree. I didn't realize we were playing with bludgers. Of course I don't want to play with those. I'll play next time." She gave the group of Weasleys a weak smile. Bill turned to Ginny with a look of determination.

"Never thought I'd see the day I had to say my baby sister was right, but it's here. I'm sorry, Gin, you're right. I should have asked her, not told her. You are always welcome to yell at me as long as it's in defense of my wife." He gave her a grin at the end. Ginny gave him a smug smile.

"It's just all happening for me lately. My oldest brother admits I'm right, another brother asks my advice when he says he never would in his life...glad to know that I've become so essential in all of your lives." Charlie pointed at her and raised his eyebrows.

"You are not to let this go to your head, little sister. One day, you might need us and we're going to rub it in your face." She laughed merrily in the wake of his comment. George interrupted their banter.

"Can we play some bloody quidditch now!?" Everyone laughed at his impatience and went off in search of their jumpers and cloaks. Fleur decided to stay in the house where it was warm so that left Hermione to referee the game by herself. A job she wasn't too keen on, but took on to keep the boys happy. The group of ten trudged out to the orchard where the makeshift quidditch pitch was located, already arguing over who was going to be on what teams. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at their bickering as they raced to the broom shed to retrieve their brooms.

In the end, they couldn't agree on teams so they nominated Hermione to split them up, knowing that she was always fair. Since there were nine players, she sent Ron to play permanent keeper, not on a team. He would be included in both teams. Fred, Charlie, Angelina, and Bill made up the first team, heading to one end of the pitch to discuss their strategy. George, Harry, Ginny, and Christine were on the opposing team. Hermione had to admit, it would be a good game. She really did wish that Fleur could play, she was quite good at playing chaser. Hermione settled herself on the ground and cast warming spells around herself, waiting on the players to ready themselves for the match.

After a fair amount of time for strategy discussion, she called the game to start. She released the balls and the Weasley's went after them in a rush. Charlie and Harry were playing against each other in the post of seeker, Fred and George against each other as beaters, and Bill, Angelina, Ginny, and Christine as chasers. The game was quite brutal. Cutthroat even,one would say. Hermione smiled to herself as she tried to pay close attention to who had the ball and who was scoring as she kept score in the air with smoke from her wand. While she wasn't paying attention, a bludger careened past her head, hit by George, and smacked the ground. It bounced, leaving an impression in the hard dirt, and hit her in the shoulder, the same shoulder that always hurt. She felt a crack as her bone broke. The bludger continued on it's course towards the goal, where it hit Ron's broom, unseating him, sending him to the ground. Despite the seering pain in her wand arm, Hermione raised her hand and cast a quick cushioning charm before Ron could hit the ground at full speed. She suspected that he was still injured, but she doubted that they were serious. Hermione could hear feet hitting the ground a fair distance away, checking on Ron she was sure. Raising her eyes, she saw that he was awake and talking but his arm was at an odd angle. They were walking him towards her, most likely for her to heal him since she was the best with charms. She sat up, blocking out the pain from her arm. Her mind ran through who was best with charms after herself. Bill probably. Or George. Fred was good at potions, Charlie at transfiguration, Ginny at herbology and defence. She really wasn't sure about Christine and Angelina.

Ron was smiling as they walked him to her spot on the ground. She didn't see how since he was holding his arm to his chest.

"Did you see that, 'Mione? George said he hit that bludger last...good thing you're quick on your feet or I'd be a lot worse for the wear! Can you heal me, please?" She gave a forced smile and nodded.

"It's no problem, that's why I'm here." She muttered an incantation and waved her wand over his arm and the bone mended in front of their eyes. He ran his hand over his arm where the break had been.

"God, I love magic." The group laughed and they started to walk off towards the pitch again, but Hermione called out to Bill.

"Bill, can you hold on a moment?" He turned around, as did Fred. Bill looked confused but nodded. The pair of them started back towards her spot on the ground.

"Can you heal me? I think you're the best with charms and it's my messed up shoulder so I really don't want just anyone to -" Both men dropped to the ground and Fred cut her off.

"What the bloody hell happened, Mia? Why didn't you tell us you were hurt? One of us could have healed Ron. Were you hurt when you cast that cushioning charm? Were you -" Bill cut him off.

"Fred, just stop. You have to let her talk. But first let me look at her shoulder. Hermione, I hate to tell you this, but you're going to have to let me see your shoulder so you're going to have to take your shirt off. Leave your bra on. Unless you want me to have Angelina or Christine look at it." Hermione bit her lip and looked at Fred. He shrugged at her.

"No, I want you to heal it, I know you're good at charms. But can you have Christine, Angie, and Ginny come stand in front of me so the other boys can't see me?" Bill nodded and yelled for the girls. Waiting on them meander their way back over, she explained what happened.  
"Before that bludger hit Ron, it hit the ground right there," she indicated with her head to the indention in the ground, "and then it bounced off the ground and hit me in the shoulder. I had just enough time to cast the cushioning charm for Ron after I caught my breath. Next time, I'll pay more attention." Bill gave her a funny look.

"What did you mean 'messed up shoulder'?" Hermione gave a deep sigh.

"Fred will you just tell him? This hurts immensely, unless he wants to wait for an explanation. But I think he might want one before he heals me." Fred reached down and gripped her hand while Bill waited patiently for Fred to explain.

"When she saved me at Hogwarts, a chunk of that wall hit her in the spine and broke it between her shoulders. Madam Pomfrey healed it but it wasn't right. She fixed it, well kind of, but it still causes her shoulder pain since it lays on a nerve or something. Madam Pomfrey said she could fix it but it would mean having to rebreak her spine again, so Mia told her no because she didn't want that pain again. Now she just lives with the shoulder pain that she gets here and there, all because she chose to save my life." Bill turned to explain to the three girls that had just arrived. Hermione looked up at Fred.

"That was the best choice I ever made." He smiled at her and pressed a kiss on top of her head. His hands began to work the opposite side of her injury's shirt off her frame. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. The November wind cut into her bare skin as Bill helped peel her shirt off her injured arm. Ginny conjured a cloak and wrapped it around the rest of her, leaving her injury free. Bill ran a diagnostic spell, indeed finding a broken bone. As he healed it, she felt the familiar flow of magic as the bone melded itself back together. Once the pain was gone, Bill ran another diagnostic spell.

"Well, 'Mione, I didn't do anything for what was already wrong with it, but I fixed the broken bone perfectly. Sorry I couldn't help with your other problem." He handed her her shirt back and she smiled at him.

"It's alright, Bill, I've come to live with it. Thank you for healing me. I appreciate it more than you know." Once her shirt was back on, he ruffled her hair.

"'Mione, you don't have to thank me. You're my sister now, like it or not. Now put your cloak back on, quit chattering your teeth, and make sure you tell everyone that Charlie catches the snitch!" She gave a small giggle and he headed off with the girls towards the pitch. Fred looked at her sternly.

"I'll kick Georgie's arse for hurting you, but next time, bloody say something! When are you going to learn?" She gave him a kiss before admonishing him.

"Don't you dare do anything to him. He didn't know it was going to hit me. It's my fault for not saying anything. And probably never." He rolled his eyes and sauntered off. The game continued in typical Weasley fashion. It finally ended forty-five minutes later, Bill's team indeed winning when Charlie caught the snitch, first time ever against Harry. The ribbing that took place lasted all the way up to the house, where Fleur's swan patronus met them a few steps from the door.

*Your parents are home, almost time to leave.*

The family filed in the house, rowdy and loud from the quidditch game, giving Fleur, Molly and Arthur details from the match. Ron was regaling his injuries and was telling of Hermione's quick movements to save him from a headlong crash. Hermione soon became embarrassed and snuck away upstairs to change into more appropriate wear for the reception at the muggle restaurant. She wore her hair down and straight, simple. She applied light makeup and perfume which complimented her outfit nicely. The flattering long black slacks hugged her hips and almost reached the floor, they would have if she hadn't been wearing a pair of red heels. They matched the long-sleeved crimson top, which brought out the last of the shiny auburn highlights left in her hair from the summer sunlight. She fastened her locket from her birthday around her neck, wearing it on the outside of her shirt, and a simple pair of silver earrings.

Hermione had to admit that Fred looked amazing. He wore a charcoal grey suit, since robes would be out of the question. Muggle London wasn't ready for wizarding robes. After tying his tie for him and brushing hair off his forehead, they grasped hands and headed down the stairs to wait for the rest of the family. Harry and Ginny looked fabulous, Ginny in a long emerald green dress and Harry in a black suit with an emerald green tie. Everyone filed down the stairs and went to Harry and Hermione for inspection. Hermione had to tie Charlie and Bill's ties and Harry sent Arthur to change out of mucking boots to dress shoes, but other than that everyone passed inspection.

They decided to dissaparate in two groups to bring less attention to themselves. Hermione took herself, Fred, George, Angelina, Charlie, Christine and Ron while Harry took himself, Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Molly, and Arthur. They arrived in a deserted alleyway outside the restaurant, leaving them all breathless. The restaurant was large and expensive looking, waiters could be seen rushing all through the building through the windows.

As they entered the warm building, the smell of italian food assaulted them, making Hermione's stomach growl for the first time in weeks. The hostess led them back to the table set aside for Percy and Penelope's party. They all took their seats, hanging their jackets behind them. Percy and Penelope, along with her family joined them shortly after. The conversation was a little stunted at first, as the Weasleys weren't used to muggles, but Arthur was thrilled to carry on the conversation for the whole family. By the end of the first course, the table was enveloped in laughter.

After their meals were eaten, Percy stood up to make a speech. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione thought she saw Fred with his wand but when she turned her head completely his attention was fully on his brother. She reached over and grabbed his hand, pulling it into her lap after lacing their fingers together.

"I want to make a toast, not only to the family we have gathered her tonight to help us celebrate this day, but to my lovely wife. I've loved her for quite awhile but never had the nerve to tell her. I wish that you all could have been there, but we just wanted a quiet ceremony, just us. We are, however, happy that you could all be here tonight." Percy's face started to pinch together with a look of confusion. "We want you all to know that we love you very much." He looked down and a look of anger swept over his face. "Thank you all." He sat down for a few moments and then stood up quickly, excusing himself. He walked gingerly towards the loo, Fred and George bursting out in laughter. The rest of the table gave them confused looks. George recovered first.

"We were just discussing ideas for the shop. We came up with a great idea." Everyone seemed to buy their excuse but Hermione was not fooled. She turned to the twins and hissed in their direction.

"I know you just pranked him, what did you do?" This brought on a new fit of laughter. Fred finally got control of himself and told her between fits of laughter.

"I cast a spell on his shoes. We just made it up yesterday. They're going to continue to shrink. Finite incantatem won't work to stop them either. He won't have any shoes by the time he comes out of the loo." Hermione couldn't hold back the giggle that was fighting to escape her lips. Ginny and Harry heard her and gave her a look, knowing something was going on. She leaned over and told them. They had the same reaction. After just a few minutes, all the Weasleys except Molly and Arthur knew what Fred and George had done to Percy and they were in stitches over it. Penelope's family were looking down the table at them like they were crazy. Eventually, Percy emerged from the loo wearing a completely different pair of shoes, apparently a pair that he had conjured from who knows where. As he was taking his seat, he shot a dirty look at the twins and pointed a finger at them. Hermione had a thought and leaned over to the twins.

"If you two prank my wedding, I swear to the gods, they won't find your bodies." This statement sobered them up for the remainder of the evening.

After the party had ended, the family left together, Percy berating the twins for their "prank". Molly was confused and demanded to know what had happened. Once Percy had explained and everyone was caught up in laughter again, Molly was yelling at the twins for the millionth time for ruining family events. Still laughing, George cut her.

"Mum, if we didn't prank Percy, he would have no idea that we really loved him. It's just how we express ourselves to him." Fred nodded.

"Yeah, Mum, it's how we show he's family."

For some reason, both Percy and Molly grew quiet and their eyes became wet. Percy walked up to both the twins and threw his arms around their shoulders.

"I love you guys too." He let go, grabbed Penny's hand and walked off into the night. Hermione couldn't help but smile.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Not really a good ending, but it works. The reception wasn't that big of a scene because I don't consider Percy and Penelope that big of characters but...ya know, I had to put em in here! Anyways, hope you enjoyed! You guys know what to do, let me know what you think! Til next time... 


	37. Chapter 37

A/N- Alrighty, now Charlie is up next for marriage...I had never planned on making Charlie a huge character in this story but as I wrote it just kind of happened (: I happen to like his laid back character so I think I'm just going to roll with what I've created. Anyways, I had to make a choice for this chapter and I hope you all don't hate me for it! You'll understand what I mean by the end...Anyways, thank you all for the wonderful reviews and PMs, they're keeping me going strong! Onward, is the direction I travel I now (: Enjoy (hopefully)!

Disclaimer: I own only the character Christine Smith and the plot as it applies to this fanfiction.

Chapter 37 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 5, 1998

Hermione rolled her shoulders as she took her seat at the breakfast table. She knew that it was going to be a long day. They were finally going dress shopping in muggle London for she and Fred's wedding. The colors had been decided the week before (silver and a bright blue), the guest list had been made the day before (it was more than Hermione would have liked but she decided not deny Molly her fun), and the Ministry official had accepted the date of the wedding the week before. Today, Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, Luna, and Molly would be choosing their dresses and the robes for all the groomsmen and Harry. Fred had specifically told Hermione that he didn't care what she chose for him as long as she thought he looked "dashing" in it.

Hermione nibbled on her toast while the table was engaged in loud conversation. Charlie and Ron were debating on some issue to do with the Ministry and Fred and George were discussing a new idea for the shop. Percy and Penelope had bought a flat in muggle London and had just finished moving their things in the night before. Bill would be going over today to add all the wards to their new home. While she was lost in thought, Fred reached over and squeezed her hand, pressing a kiss to her forehead, as he stood up to take his plate to the sink. She smiled up at him and took a drink of her cold tea. Fred came back to her seat and leaned in for a deeper kiss as he was getting ready to leave for the shop. She clutched at his shirt and held him in place until Charlie cleared his throat, causing a blush to rise to her cheeks. Fred simply chuckled and trailed his hand along her face as he left. Arthur, Ron, and Charlie all stood shortly after and walked into the floo to go to work, leaving Hermione and Molly alone in quiet house.

Ginny arrived minutes later, followed closely by Fleur. They were having an in-depth conversation about what kind of dress they wanted, being the fashion consultants of the family, when Luna arrived looking flustered and upset. She threw her things on the table and flopped herself in the closest chair. Hermione approached her and put her hand on the Ravenclaw's shoulder tentatively.

"Luna, are you alright? You seem upset." Luna shook her head and a tear slipped down her cheek. "If you don't want to tell us about it, you don't have to. I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be alright." Luna wiped the tear off her cheek.

"No, it's ok. I was going to tell you all anyways. Neville and I got into an argument and now he's refusing to speak to me. He left for work and told me not to contact him until he contacted me first. I don't even know what I did! He didn't tell me. He was just upset and I asked him what was wrong and he blew up! It escalated from there and now we're not speaking. What if he doesn't ever want to speak to me again?" Ginny got up and put her arms around the blond.

"Luna, you know that's never going to happen. I don't know what's going on with Neville, but he loves you. He's loved you since sixth year. He'll pull whatever is up his arse out and come around. Let's just forget about it for today and have fun." Luna nodded in Ginny's embrace. Molly interrupted the silence that had settled over the group.

"Alright girls, are you ready to shop?" Everyone smiled and nodded and began gathering their things. Heading towards the apparition point, they discussed where to begin. They had all decided on dresses, so muggle London was the destination. Joining hands, Hermione took the lead and landed them outside a popular dress shop in London.

Once inside, they all went their seperate way and began browsing. Hermione had an idea of what kind of dress she wanted. Even though the wedding was going to be held outside, she wanted a strapless dress, which would mean that atmospheric charms would need to be cast. It would add to the work load but in all honestly, they would need to be cast anyways. In the distance, she could hear Ginny and Fleur giggling about something. She saw Molly head to the dressing room with a couple dresses in hand but return them shortly after. After spending an hour browsing, everyone decided that their dresses were not in this store. Finding a secluded corner, they disapparated to another store across town.

After being at this store just a short time, there was a whoop from Ginny as she pulled a dress off a rack. She gave a gleeful smile and headed towards the dressing room. Just a few minutes had passed when she came out wearing the dress, looking stunning. The dress was almost navy and went just past her calves, flaring outwards. It was fitted tightly to her curves until her hips and was a gauzy material, the thin straps holding it up on her shoulders accentuating how dainty she was.

"This is it, guys. I don't need to try on any others. This is the one." Hermione laughed.

"You do look amazing, Gin. You're going to give me a run for my money on my own wedding day." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Nope, I'm sure not, because between me finding you the perfect dress and Fleur doing the perfect hair and makeup, you're going to look like an angel." Hermione rolled her eyes this time.

"Whatever you say, Ginny. Let's find me a dress then." Ginny went and paid for her dress and then joined Hermione in her search for the perfect dress.

"'Mione, I think you should go with strapless. You're frame is so tiny, strapless just looks so good on you. You looked amazing in that dress at my wedding." Hermione dropped her mouth.

"That's what I was looking for! I loved that dress so I wanted a dress like that, well kind of like that. We're going to have to cast a lot of atmospheric charms though since it will be January, but we can handle that. Everyone can go out and take their turn and cast some. I know charms aren't everyone's specialties but -" Ginny cut her off.

"Hermione, you're rambling. We know we'll have to cast charms. We know we'll all have to pitch in. You and Bill will probably have to cast numerous sets but we'll all pitch in. Quit worrying and look at dresses." Hermione looked at her for a second and then burst out laughing. She began rifling through dresses hanging on racks, Ginny helping her. Before they had made it through the first rack, they saw Luna head to the dressing room. Moving on to the next rack, they continued to search.

Luna came out to model the dress that she had chosen, a three quarter sleeve blue dress that looked like a princess dress out of the fairy tales Hermione had grown up with. With her long blond hair, Luna did look like a princess. Hermione gave her money to go purchase it and continued with her search. She was beginning to get frustrated and sure that she wouldn't find a dress that suited her, especially when she saw Molly head to the dressing rooms. When she stepped out, everyone agreed she looked fabulous in a creamy, long-sleeved dress that reached the floor. Hermione shot a look at Fleur, who nodded. They all gathered their purchases, and headed a few blocks down to another popular dress shop.

The group went inside and dived into the racks of dresses, Hermione for her dress and Fleur for hers. Fleur was instantly rewarded, finding a slim cut bright blue dress with wide sleeves, ribbon just under her breasts. The dress gave the illusion that she was shimmery and sparkled. Hermione was instantly jealous of her veela heritage. Hermione again handed her money to go pay and then continued on her search. Suddenly, Ginny let out a yell and held up a dress. Hermione knew then that it was the one. Snatching it out of Ginny's hand, she headed to the dressing room. Once she had shedded her clothes, she cast a disillusionment charm on her scar and shimmied into the dress. Using magic to draw the zipper up, she turned and looked at herself. It looked amazing. She drew in a breath and stepped out to face everyone's judgement. Ginny was the first to comment.

"Hermione, that is the one. You look fantastic. Fred won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"I agree with Ginny. You look amazing. With my 'air and makeup you will be stunning." Fleur purred. Molly and Luna simply smiled and nodded. The dress was indeed strapless, silk, and stunning. It wasn't white, but somewhat of a bone color. It had an over-lay that was draped in diagonal strips across the length of the dress. It reached the floor after fitting her form perfectly.

"I agree with you guys. This is the one. I feel perfect in this. It's the one." Hermione turned back to the changing room and changed out of the dress, putting the plastic back over it carefully. Once it was paid for, she had Ginny vanish it to Grimmauld Place so there would be no temptation for Fred to peek. They all grasped hands and disapparated to Diagon Alley where they would be visiting Madam Malkin for robes for the men. After browsing for a short time, Hermione found some that she liked. She chose traditional for them with accents in blue, the same for Harry since he would be giving her away. Her party quite agreed with her choice so she paid for her order and they decided to stroll Diagon Alley and pick up decorations as she saw along the way.

This however, didn't last long because her back was starting to ache from being on her feet all day and they were going to be due back at the Burrow to make supper. Weasley's Wizards Wheezes wasn't too busy since it was fairly close to closing time so the girls decided to go visit and use their floo to get greeted them upon walking in the door.

"Well, hello, lovely ladies! How did shopping go? Find dresses and robes? I hope mine are flattering." Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

"I got you the ugliest ones I could find. I couldn't have you looking better than Fred." He raised his eyebrow.

"So you admit I'm the better looking twin, do you? Fred, your fiance thinks I'm hot!" Hermione launched herself at him and started hitting him in the arm with her fist. George was laughing as Fred rounded the corner from the back room.

"Fred, that is not what I said! He put words in my mouth, I swear!" Fred laughed and swept her up in his arms, spinning her in a circle.

"It's ok, love, we'll get him back later. He may be better looking, but I'm better at pranks. He'll be sorry." George scowled at him and Fred laughed. "So did you find a dress, love?" Hermione smiled at him.

"I did, but no you can't see it. Don't even ask. I got your robes ordered too. I hope you like them." Fred kissed her.

"You're no fun, not letting me see. And I'm sure that I'll love them, even though I told you I don't care. If you like them, that's all I care about." She gave him a quick kiss.

"We came to use your floo. We're all too tired to apparate anymore. We went to three different shops and then Madam Malkins, then walked Diagon Alley. We're all ready to drop." He set her down and gestured towards the fireplace.

"You all know where it is. We're about done here so we'll meet you at home." She bent down and grabbed her bags, heading towards the fireplace with Luna, Molly, and Ginny. Hermione gave a small wave as she disappeared in the flames.

After arriving back at the Burrow, Luna and Fleur left for home so Molly, Ginny, and Hermione started supper. Fred and George arrived home just twenty minutes after they did, Arthur, Charlie, Ron, and Harry shortly after them. They were all somewhat quiet but asked how the dress shopping had went and even tried to tease details out of Hermione about her dress. George continued to tease her about calling him the better looking twin, which caused her to have a constant blush all through dinner. Once dinner was finished, Hermione stood to clear the table but Harry cleared his throat.

"Hermione, can I talk to you? In the living room?" She gave him a puzzled look but nodded. Rising, she noticed that Charlie and Ron also made to go with her. She glanced at Fred, who got up as well, smacking George in the arm.

When Hermione was settled in the living room, the only ones who weren't in the living room were Molly and Arthur. She had taken a seat in the middle of the couch, Fred on one side, Charlie on the other. Harry approached her from the front and crouched down, taking her hand. His eyes were sad and he took a deep breath.

"'Mione, you're my sister and I love you. That's why I said I'd come tell you rather than King." Hermione felt dread clench her stomach. "He heard back from his foreign correspondents today about your parents. It took them a week or so to search all the old records for your parents names because it happened so long ago. Your parents were killed right after they moved to Australia. Of course the muggles had no idea who did it, but after King had his people look into it, they determined that Travers is the one did it. No, we haven't caught him but King wanted me to tell you that we're doing everything possible to find him." Hermione felt her world shatter.

"How did they die, Harry?" Harry shook his head.

"That's not important, Hermione." Her eyes met his and they were full of rage.

"It is. Tell me right now, Harry Potter, or so help me a stunning spell will be the least of your worries!" Harry sighed.

"Exactly like you saw. They thought they might have information on you and I. They gave them nothing. Your charms worked. Travers just found them. He was too good. I promise you, Hermione, we will find him." Harry reached up and pulled her into a hug. Hermione couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They began slipping down her cheeks, wetting the shoulder of Harry's shirt.

Hermione felt herself be shifted from Harry to Fred, but she didn't care. The guilt was crushing her. The black hole within herself was swallowing her and she couldn't seem to stop it. She was vaguely aware of Fred stroking her hair. Inwardly, she started to berate herself for being such a child. Her parents would never have wanted her to wallow in self pity. Making herself sit up, she wiped her cheeks. Everyone was still sitting there, watching her like she was going to break.

"Thank you, Harry. When you catch that son of a bitch, don't show him any mercy. He can rot in Azkaban for life for what he's done to my parents. I really hope that you don't blame yourself for any of this." He shook his head.

"I don't Hermione, but I hope you don't either. Trust me, there won't be any mercy." She gave him a faint smile.

"Fred, I want to go to bed. Will you come with me?" He nodded, pulling her to her feet. "Thank you all for your support." The pair went upstairs, not bothering to tell Molly or Arthur goodnight, and crawled into their bed. Neither spoke, but she drew comfort from his presence. As she drifted off the sleep many hours later, it was Fred she was thinking of.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Not my best chapter, I know. It's been a bad day and you know how that goes! Anyways, there ya have it! Y'all know the drill...gimme your thoughts (: Thanks guys! 


	38. Chapter 38

A/N- Sorry y'all, I couldn't resist! I killed off her parents...terrible of me, I know. But...I needed it for the sake of the story! You understand, right? Please don't throw rotten things at me! Sorry for the super short chapter last time, but sometimes that just happens. Anyways, this is somewhat of a filler chapter but those can be important as well. They build up the story, ya know? Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself...anywho, here we go!

Disclaimer: None of this is mine except the character Christine Smith. Unfortunetly Harry Potter belongs to JKR.

Chapter 38 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 12, 1998

Fred wrapped his arms around Hermione's tiny waist, pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck, as she applied a light spray of perfume. She leaned back into his embrace.  
"Freddie, I still can't believe that you took the whole day off from the shop just to go ring shopping with me. George is going to kill you." Fred chuckled lightly in her ear.

"Aw, no he won't, because I've already talked to him and he knows a secret that you don't and George loves secrets." Hermione spun around in his arms, hands resting on his chest.

"What secret? You know I hate surprises. Frederick, you had better tell me!" Fred pulled her in for a kiss, making her momentarily forget that she was on a mission for information. After releasing her mouth, he gave the tip of her nose a quick peck.

"No use, love. I'm not telling you, but I promise you it's not bad. You'll just have to wait and see." He reached down and grasped her hand, pulling her towards the door to head for breakfast.

Once at the table, she was met by cheerful banter with Charlie and Ron. They insisted on teasing her on how tiny she was compared to the rest of the Weasleys, even Ginny. Ginny stood at a willowy 5'8" and when coupled with her long straight red hair, she managed to look exactly like a ballerina. Not that she had any idea what that was. Hermione, of course, stood 5'2", more curvy than Ginny but not near as had always envied Ginny for her athletic build. Of course, all the Weasley men stood 6'3" or taller, most of them muscular from years of quidditch. She knew that their teasing was true but she didn't intend to take it lying down.

"You know, just because all the Weasleys are the size of a small giant doesn't mean that I'm small. Maybe you are the ones that are abnormal." Ron snorted at her comment.

"Come on, Hermione, you know you're tiny. Admit it. Harry's not a Weasley and even he's bigger than you. He started out little when we were young, remember? I think you were even bigger than him. Now he's what, 6'2"? Grew into himself, he did. You just quit growing in fifth year. You can't blame us for being normal." Charlie snorted.

"He's got you there, 'Mione. When I met you in fourth year you were only a tiny bit shorter than you are now. And I'm not saying that he's normal by any means, just that you are short." Hermione snorted and was about to retort but Fred cut in.

"Ok, we all agree that Mia is shorter than the Weasleys. On the other hand though, everyone is shorter than the Weasleys. And Mia, you may be short, but you're perfect for me." Charlie stuck his finger down his throat, miming getting sick.

"Fred, you're such a suck up. Can't you let us have any fun with her? She's not going to hex us for teasing her!" Ron started laughing.

"I think the firewhiskey clouded his brain! Apparently he doesn't remember that tickling jinx when he wouldn't put her down at Harry and Ginny's wedding!" The table erupted in laughter and Charlie had a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.

As the meal came to a close, they all cleared their plates and went to gather their cloaks. Charlie, Ron and Arthur headed to work at the Ministry while Fred and Hermione headed to the apparition point. Fred leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear.

"Let me take the lead?" She looked at him with a questioning look in her eye, but nodded her approval. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they twisted on the spot.

When Hermione opened her eyes, she realized that they hadn't gone far. She recognized that they were on the outskirts of the village Ottery St. Catchpole, the village near the Burrow. Sending a confused look towards Fred, he simply shook his head. He grabbed her hand and they set off on foot away from the village. Continuing for a mile or so, the brisk air whipped her hair around her and made rosy apples appear on her cheeks. Finally, Fred pullled her to a stop in front of a gate. He made to unlock it as she looked over at him quizically. He rolled his eyes at her.

"We're here to look at the house, Mia. To see if we want to buy it. We do get married in two months so we'll need somewhere to live after all." A smile spread across her face slowly as his words sank in.

"That's brilliant, Freddie! I can't believe I didn't think of it!" He pushed her gently with his shoulder.

"Hey, you can't have all the good ideas. Let me have some too." She threaded her arm through his and started down the path through the gate up to the large house at the end of the walk.

An older gentlemen was waiting for them inside the house, introducing himself as Mr. Tuckman. He seemed a well-educated fellow and was very knowledable about the house. As it were, Hermione fell in love with the house. The kitchen was very large, perfect for family gatherings, complete with full dining room. The living room was large as well but not ridiculously so. The master bedroom was quite large and had a walk-in closet with it's own loo and three other bedrooms as well. Two other bathrooms graced the house, as well as a study. The outside was beautiful. The property sat on three acres, containing a pond, just like the Burrow and also a garden. It was also fenced in, which would be perfect for small children, a point that Hermione made to Fred in small whispers, making Fred smile when she turned away.

When Mr. Tuckman left them by the pond to discuss their decision, Hermione's eyes were shining and Fred could already see the decision in them.

"What do you think, love? Is this the one or do we keep looking?" Hermione tried to hide her excitement.

"I don't know, Freddie. I really like this one. It's the perfect size for a few children, it's fenced in, it has a pond, it's close to your parents..." He gave her a small smile.

"I think this one is it. Shall I put in an offer?" She gave a squeal and nodded. He swung her up in his arms and gave her quick kiss. "Ok, hang on real quick. I'll go talk to Mr. Tuckman, ask what the owners are wanting. I'll make sure to offer enough that we get it. We'll just have to wait for them to approve it." Hermione nodded, taking a seat to wait for him. As she waited, her thoughts began to wander, making her feel guilty for her happiness. She had just discovered her parents murders a week before. Deep down, she was aware that she had not killed them, but she couldn't help but wonder if she had done things differently if it would have spared them the terrible end that they had suffered. They had been tortured for information that they didn't even have. Travers had known they didn't know, but continued on with his cruel ministrations anyways. She could only hope that Harry and Ron and their fellow aurors would catch him and he would rot away for the rest of his life in Azkaban. Hermione wasn't aware of the footsteps behind her until Fred knelt beside her and wiped at her cheek.

"Mia, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She wiped at her cheek and tried to smile at him.

"I was just thinking how wrong it is that I'm happy today because we're buying our house and I found out a week ago that my parents were tortured and murdered because I didn't send them to the right place. Before you start, I know it wasn't my fault that they're dead. I just can't help but wonder if I had done something different if they could have been spared." Fred sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"Mia, first of all, your parents would want you to be happy. They wouldn't want you to suffer just because they're would want you to move on and live your life and be happy. So quit feeling guilty. Second of all, Austrailia is a huge place. If Travers found them there, they wouldn't have safe anywhere. You couldn't have done anything differently to save them. You did the best you could and we all know that. They know that now. Sometimes we just lose people we love. Harry is a prime example. How is fair that he has lost so many people that he's loved? It's just life. You have to accept it and move on. It still hurts but you learn to live with it and move on, because that's what they would want. That's what Harry's had to do. His parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, Remus, even Dobby. If you need help, I'm sure he could help you, love." Hermione sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

"I know you're right, Freddie. I need to stop. Maybe I will talk to Harry. He's bound to be an expert at losing people." Fred gave her a sad smile.

"Now, for good news. I put in an offer, we should hear back later today. Now how about we go ring shopping?" Hermione gave him a genuine smile.

"That sounds like a great idea. I need to find you a ring so I can shackle you to me for the rest of your life." Fred rolled his eyes at her. They joined hands, Fred once again taking control of apparition, and landed in Diagon Alley.

Strolling down the Alley, hand in hand, they browsed the jewelry shops. Finally entering one, they went to the wedding jewelery. Most was goblin-made, very fine work. Hermione leaned over and whispered to Fred.

"Do you prefer silver or gold?" He scrunched up his face in thought.

"I think silver, but really it doesn't matter to me. Whatever you prefer." She stifled a giggle.

"You're far too easy to please. That's fine though. I prefer silver as well." They continued their browsing.

After a few more minutes of looking on their own, a salesman came to help them at the counter.

"Can I help you?" Hermione looked up at him, eager to have help in their search.

"Oh yes, that's wonderful. We're searching for wedding rings. We both prefer silver but that's as far as we've gotten." The salesman gave her a smile.

"You're Hermione Granger, aren't you?" Fred took her hand as Hermione sighed.

"Yes, yes I am, but please don't announce it. I don't want to cause a scene. I just want to get rings for my fiance and I and leave without a fuss." The salesman glanced at Fred and a flare of recognition rose in his eyes.

"You're one of the Weasley twins, aren't you? You were paired with Miss Granger? I can only begin to tell you how lucky you are to have such a lovely and brave fiance. Let me show you something, I think the pair of you will like them, they've only just come in." The saleman walked off, leaving Hermione and Fred in stunned silence. He returned just a few moments later with two ring boxes, handing one to each of them. Glancing at each other, they opened the boxes, revealing two beautiful rings. Fred's was lined with diamonds along the edge, but rubies diagonally across the band. Hermione's was a smaller band, with diamonds and rubies also but alternating between the two in a diagonal pattern around the whole band. Hermione raised her eyes to the face of the salesman.

"They're beautiful. You would sell these to us?" He smiled at her and nodded.

"I would sell them to you. I was going to keep them for my own fiance, even though she wanted blue, but I will sell them to you if you wish them. I am aware that you're both Gryffindors and I'm sure that you're both aware that rubys promote love in a relationship. It would be my honor to sell you these rings." Hermione looked confused.

"Why me? I don't understand. Keep them for your fiance." The salesman shoved them back into her hand.

"I'm muggleborn as well. You saved my sister's life, you, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley. She's Mary Elizabeth Cattermole, you saved her at the Ministry of Magic, while she was being interoggated about who she stole her magic from. So take the rings as a thank you." Hermione smiled and curled her hands around the rings.

"Thank you. She and her children are ok, then? They were able to make a run for it after we set her free? We always wondered." The salesman started to ring up the rings and was smiling as he relayed her story.

"Oh yes, she and Reg apparated home and snatched the kids before anyone at the Ministry even knew what was happening. They were all so worried about you three that they weren't worried about a few muggleborns that had escaped. I don't think that all the wizards that escaped were as lucky but my sister was, thanks to you three. They fled to America til the war was over, just recently returning. All of them owe you their lives. All they talk about is how brave you all were, helping them escape, sending your patronuses after those dementors. Mary still can't believe she made it out of there alive." Hermione chuckled to herself as Fred paid the man.

"That's how I feel about the war, sir. I just can't believe I made it out alive. Tell her I'm glad her family is well. And thank you again for these lovely rings." She raised a hand to salesman, realizing that she had never actually caught his name.

Walking out of the jewelry shop hand in hand, Hermione turned to Fred.

"Shall we head home, help your Mum with supper?" Fred nodded to her, faraway look in his eyes. Stopping him, she turned him to look at her. "What's wrong Freddie?" He smiled at her softly.

"I just can't belive all the things you did in this war sometimes, Mia. It is just unreal. I really have no idea what he was talking about. One of these days, you're going to have to sit down and tell me the whole story, from start to finish. Nothing left out, alright?" She smiled at him.

"Sounds good. Shall we?" She held out her hand. He grasped it and she pulled him into the familiar darkness of apparition.

Landing at the apparition point of the Burrow, they entered through the kitchen, met with delicious smells of the dinner to come. Charlie and Ron were already home for the day, as was Arthur, and Harry and Ginny were over for the evening meal. Fred sat down at the table to begin the wind-down talk with his father and Harry, while Hermione began helping with the meal with Molly and Ginny. Good natured laughter and teasing went on throughout the evening, as the light outside sank to it's knees. The meal was almost over when a tapping interrupted the chatter. Ron stood up and let in an unknown owl. It flew straight to Fred, who untied a message from it's leg. After unsealing the message, Hermione leaned over to read it over his shoulder.

Dear Mr. Weasley,

I would like to congratulate you on the news that the owners have accepted your offer on Wheat Ridge. The vault information you left with me has been given to the owner and they have already withdrawn the amount, so you are the proud owner of the wonderful home in question. You may take ownership of the home tomorrow. We all wish happiness to you and the lovely Miss Granger for many years to come.

Mr. Tuckman

Hermione looked up at Fred, her eyes shining with unshed tears. When Fred met her gaze, she threw her arms around his neck. The rest of the table looked on in confusion, not sure what to say. When Hermione pulled away from Fred's neck, she smiled and nodded at him. He turned to his family.

"We have wonderful news. Mum, don't cry. We bought our first house today. It's a house out in the country outside of Ottery St. Catchpole. Just a few miles from here. The owners accepted our offer on Wheat Ridge and we take possession of the house tomorrow. Don't worry, Mum, I doubt we're moving in until we're married. We're going to do everything right." The table burst out in excited chatter, Molly leading it surprisingly.

"Hermione, dear, I'm so excited that you and Freddie will be so close. Once you have children, they'll be able to walk here, they won't even need magic!" She rose from her chair and gave Hermione a hug. Hermione returned it, knowing that it meant everything to her in-laws for family to remain close.

"I know, Molly. You have to come see it tomorrow. You'll love it." Molly agreed quickly. The chatter continued on for another hour before Hermione finally admitted defeat. She relayed the story of Mary Elizabeth Cattermole to Harry and Ron on her way upstairs and they laughed as she expected they would. Once upstairs, she stripped out of her heavy clothes and began looking for her comfortable lounge clothes. Hearing the door creak open, she turned to find Fred watching her search. As he met her eyes, the smoldering look in his ran unchecked over her body, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

She couldn't remember the last time that she had felt as desired as she did at that moment. He hadn't even touched her, just merely watched her, and the wetness was growing between her legs. He strode towards her, slowly yet purposefully. Hermione found herself quivering in delight. When he reached her, his hands didn't touch her. He leaned down to kiss her, but instead of a kiss, a sharp bite found her bottom lip. His tongue reached out to soothe it and she felt his hands grasp her wrists.

Hermione felt herself spin away from him and be pinned against the wall, hands on the wall above her head. Fred's hands still hadn't touched her except to hold her exactly where he wanted her. All of a sudden she felt his length pressing against her, and she ached for it. Arching her back, she urged him to press himself into her. Needing no further encouragement, he inched himself into her pulsing heat, still holding her hostage above her head. Once he was fully sheathed, she moaned at the pleasure of feeling full, and he began to pump into her, first slowly. Sensing her desperation, he would speed up for a time only to slow back down, torturing her.

Finally he freed her hands. Since he refused to touch her, she was touching herself. He couldn't hardly stand to watch her hands roam all over her body, rubbing her nipples, flicking her sensitive nub. He was so close already and that would push him over the edge. Hermione began to push back against him, driving into him deeper and harder, urging him on, and as he finally gave in, he wrapped his arms around her chest and waist, lovingly carressing her soft skin. He drove into her with a hot purpose now, and when he velvety walls tightened on his, indicating she had reached her climax, he gave over to his own, spilling his seed into her. She leaned back against him and he held her up, knowing that he had driven her crazy. Once he had pulled out and cleansing spells muttered, he led her spent body to the bed. That night he caressed her all over as she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

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	39. Chapter 39

A/N- Well, alrighty then...Fred and Hermione now have a house for when they're married! Now they just need to hurry up and get married, right! I'm ready for their wedding too, but I really hate fanfics that are rushed. I am aware that mine started out that way, but this is my first one and I like to think that I am improving so you guys are just going to have to hang tough til the wedding! Thanks for sticking with me (: Like I've said, rockstar readers!

Disclaimer: I don't own crap. Oh, except the character Christine Smith. You know the drill (:

Chapter 39 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 13, 1998

Once again, the sunshine pouring through the frosty window is what wakes Hermione from her peaceful slumber. She recalled that she had had no dreams and she was thankful for it. Feeling Fred's arms tighten around her, she turned to see him smiling at her with his eyes still closed.

"How can you always tell when I'm awake?" He cracked an eye at her.

"I don't know...I can almost hear the little parts in your brain wake up and start working." She laughed out loud at how preposterous it sounded.

"I think that you are full of it. Now tell me really." He shot her a mischevious grin.

"I guess that's one deep dark secret you'll never know about me, Mia." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before swinging his long legs out of bed, causing the cold air to prickle Hermione's skin. Giving up the idea of a warm bed without Fred, she drug herself into the loo for a shower.

After the warm shower, she charmed her hair straight and dressed in jeans, flats, and a long sleeved black sweater, hoping it would keep her warm. She knew that she had promised to show Molly around Wheat Ridge this morning but she was planning on working at the shop this afternoon. Due to Fred being gone all day the day before, there had been no production so both boys would want to work in the back room as much as possible today. Fred had already left the bedroom in search of breakfast, so she followed after him once she made sure that she was presentable in the mirrow on the back of her door.

Hermione was greeted by the sight of Ginny at the table with her brothers, bantering back and forth with them as she had in her younger years. She gave the Brightest Witch of Her Age a broad smile as she took her seat next to Fred.

"Hey, 'Mione, I came over because there is no way that I'm not seeing your new house. I'm going on the tour with Mum." Hermione gave her a smile in return.

"Actually I thought about that while I was taking a shower. I was going to floo call you when I got down here to see if you wanted to come, I don't know why I didn't think to invite you last night. I'm glad that you took it upon yourself to just invite yourself." Ginny laughed at her innuendo.

"You can always count on a Weasley to be rude. Then you can't even be mad at us for it, because we're just so damned lovable." Everyone at the table started laughing but stopped abrupted why Molly started to shake her wooden spoon at them. The meal continued on in normal fashion, but the teasing was aimed at Molly, who bore it unusually well. Perhaps it had something to do with her shopping plans that afternoon for the baby with Fleur.

Once the table was cleared and the dishes were clean, everyone stood to go to their respective jobs. Fred was going to floo to the shop since he was going alone, while Ron, Charlie and Arthur headed to the apparition point. While Ginny, Molly and Hermione gathered their heavy cloaks, the three men disappeared with a crack. The three women gossiped about the family as they headed towards the apparition point in the brisk morning air before grasping hands, then letting Hermione take the lead. Hermione apparates them to the edge of the village, where Fred had taken her, so they knew where the house was in reference to the Burrow. They walk the last mile to the house, still gossiping. Molly brings up Charlie's wedding.

"Charlie told me that Christine's parents didn't want to have a reception, he wouldn't tell me why, but somehow they talked them into it. I'm just not sure what the reasoning behind not having a reception for your youngest daughter would be." Ginny's eyes widened and then words spilled out of her mouth.

"I like Christine but I don't think her parents are like her. I think they were in Slytherin and they were really into the pureblood supremacy views. To them, Charlie is probably one of the worst matches ever, being a blood traitor. They probably don't want to bring too much attention to the fact that they're getting married. I mean, Christine's nice and all, but have you noticed that she's really reserved and kind of offish to you, 'Mione?" Molly grew quiet but Hermione answered.

"I can definetly see that in her, she is very reserved. But you have to admit, the Weasleys can be a lot to take on if you don't know any of you. The first time I ever came around I was terrified. I think that she'll get better with time. She was really offish to me at first, but at George's wedding when I was so upset, she really was kind to me. If she really did grow up with those beliefs, then Penny and I are something new for her and it will take getting used to us. Now, if her parents are rude, I will have no problems putting them in their place. I've had enough of the word 'mudblood' for a lifetime." Molly looked at them both as they neared the gate leading to the house.

"Do you think that Charlie is happy with her? Do you think he can handle in-laws like that?" Both girls laughed. Ginny spoke first.

"Mum, I think Charlie is very happy with her. He never brought girls around before. I know he doesn't have a choice this time around, but he actually smiles around her. Puts his arm her and walks her to the apparition point. Since when has your player son ever been a gentlemen? Since he actually has feelings for this one, that's when. I think they'll be just fine." Hermione broke in.

"Molly, I don't know if he loves her or if it's the bond, but it's obvious that he cares deeply for her. That's not going away, you can count on that. They will be happy together. As for his in-laws, Charlie is the most laid back of all the Weasleys and he doesn't let anyone push him around. I wouldn't worry about him and his in-laws." Molly finally cracked a smile at their words.

The two redheads finally turned their attention to the house behind the gate. They both gasped at the sight against the crisp cloudy November sky. Letting them in the gate, Hermione couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

"Let's look around the outside first. It's honestly my favorite." Mother and daughter nodded. The three threaded their arms through each others, wandering the three acres of ground. Molly spoke first.

"Is it all fenced in?" Hermione nodded.

"It is, I know, perfect for children. That's one of the main reasons I wanted it."

Both women exclaimed over the garden, loving the cherry blossom tree that would grace their kitchen view come summertime, and then the pond and the small dock. Hermione imagined the picnics that she and her small family would have in the summertime by the pond, watching the fish jump and the ducks swim lazily.

Ginny interrupted her daydreaming and dragged them to the house, where Hermione unlocked the door with her wand. The women roamed the house freely, taking in the rooms. Hermione trailed after them, listening to them chatter to each other about ways they would decorate certain areas and such. She was still in awe that she owed her own home. With Fred. When they reached the upstairs, Ginny let out a screech as she saw the master bedroom.

"'Mione, this room is fabulous! Gods, I would kill for this room!" Hermione let out a small chuckle.

"Well, Gin, you are the richest witch in Britain. Make Harry remodel. You can have a room like this one." Ginny let out a laugh.

"You know, that's a great idea. I just might do that. Use these feminine wiles to my advantage." Molly shook her head as she walked in on the tail end of the conversation.

"Hermione, dear, this house is lovely. You and Fred have a wonderful home to start a family in. And you're so close to Arthur and I, I just love it. The children can walk to our house without magic, it's only a couple of miles." Hermione gave her a winning smile.

"Well, you can give Fred all the credit. He didn't even tell me we were looking at a house. He chose the house we were looking at. Granted, I wanted it really badly, but he chose which one we were looking at. And I think he wanted it just as badly. He just didn't want to say it." All three women laughed as they headed out down the stairs to leave the house.

"We did talk though, and we aren't going to move in until we are married. We want to do everything right and in the right order. Well, mostly." Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks thinking about the sex they had had the night before.

"That's wonderful, dear. You're welcome at the Burrow for as long as you like." Molly assured her.

Once outside the gate, they grasped hands and disapparated back to the Burrow. After a quick cup of tea, Hermione set off through the floo to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes for an afternoon of work at the register. Stepping out of the fire, she was greeted with a hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek from George.

"It's about bloody time you're here, 'Mione! I hear you were giving Mum and Gin the grand tour. How's it feel to be a homeowner?" Wiping her cheek off, Hermione shot him a dirty look.

"You know, you're lucky I came in at all. And I love the feeling, thank you very much. Shall I take over the register so you two experimenters can go work your magic?" George started to laugh as he gestured toward the register.

"Have at it Hermione. And have lots of fun while you're at it. Lee and Seamus are around here somewhere, yell for them if you need something." She nodded as she headed for the register.

Hermione worked tirelessly for the rest of the day, waiting on various witches and wizards, all interested in the joke items they had purchased. Some wanted to exchange war stories with the famous Hermione Granger, but she would quickly change the subject or become busy with work. The children that came in the shop would capture her heart, making her want her own even more. The only interruption to her day was the loud explosion from the back room that rocked the whole building. Both Weasley twins coughed their way out of the room with blackened faces, claiming to be completely fine and blaming an unstable potion ingredient. With a heartbeat that was flying at the speed of a centaur herd, Hermione just shook her head and waved her wand, trying to clear the smoke.

When the end of the day finally came, she was ready to go home. As she counted out the register, she let her mind wander to the fact that she considered the Burrow home, and had for awhile. It didn't feel like a betrayal to her parents but it made her feel like her childhood had flown past way too quickly. Hermione could hear Lee and Seamus arguing good naturedly somewhere in the aisles while stocking the shelves. She imagined that the twins were finishing up whatever they were experiencing on. Once the register was reset and she had the profits in the bag for Gringotts, she settled herself in a chair to wait. Soon after she sat, Fred came from the back to find her.

"Mia, you can go ahead and floo home. We're going to be just a little while longer. We'll go ahead and take the money when we're done and meet you at home." Hermione rose from her chair and went to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Alright, Freddie, that's fine. I need to go home and help with dinner anyways. I'll see you at home." She walked to the fireplace and stepped into the flames, whirling away to the Burrow.

When she arrived she was met by loud chatter and laughter. Fleur and Angelina were bustling around the kitchen helping Molly cook the evening meal, Ginny was in a hot debate with Charlie and Ron about quidditch teams, and Percy, Harry and Arthur were discussing Ministry policies. Bill was walking in through the kitchen door, the chicken feed bucket in his hand. Christine and Lavender were sitting quietly at the table, sipping tea.

As Hermione stepped forward from the fireplace, the floo activated again and Penelope stepped forward from it, offering prompt apologies for being late from work. Christine started a quiet conversation with her while Hermione went to Molly to ask if she could help with dinner. Bill and Charlie bent to kiss her on the cheek as she passed, Harry crossing the room to do the same. Charlie asked after Fred and George.

"So 'Mione, it's not often that the twins are the only ones missing from a family event...are they really the only ones still being responsible and working?" She gave him a wide smile.

"Well, if you call making an explosion big enough to rock the whole shop because they're inventing things 'being responsible', then yes. They said they were finishing up and would be here soon." The whole room went up in laughter. Percy was the next one to speak.

"Try having the room next to them. All summer long, explosions and the like at all hours of the night. Doesn't make for a good nights sleep. Doesn't surprise me that they're still up to no good." Hermione couldn't help but chuckle.

"As long as they don't kill themselves. What I don't know is if they were being foolish or if it was really due to an 'unstable potion ingredient' like they said. Honestly, I probably don't want to know." Ginny wheezed out a response between her gales of laughter.

"It could have been both, Hermione. Don't put it past them to be that talented." The conversation was quickly dropped when the resounding crack of apparition was heard and the twins waltzed through the doorway. The family shot each other little smiles behind hands, trying not to laugh, but managed not to get caught by the twins.

Dinner was an enjoyable affair, everyone talking together, getting along. The food was delicious and the family were on their third helpings. After everyone had pushed away from the table, Ginny and Hermione stood to clear the table, scraping the leftovers in the bucket to go to the chickens. Once the dishes were piled up in the sink, Ron cleared his throat and stood to speak. The rest of the table went quiet and gave him their attention.

"Well, Lav and I have finally made some wedding plans of our own. We have decided that we want to have our wedding at a hotel in muggle London called The Rookery, it's really nice. We'll have it catered and everything so it will be less work for everyone involved. We're going to have Harry as best man and Parvati, her best friend, as maid of honor. The reception will be there as well, the staff at the hotel will handle everything so all we have to do is show up. This does, however, mean everyone is required to wear everything muggle."

At this statement, Arthur looked utterly delighted. Molly, on the other hand, looked destroyed. It was apparent that she had been hoping to hold one more wedding at the Burrow, or at the very least, help plan one. That was now out of the cards. Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for her. After a sideways glance at Ron, she knew that he could see the effect it was having on his mother, but doubted that Lavender would relent on any of the choices that had been made.

Once the dishes were washed and family members had gone home, Hermione made her way to her room with the excuse that she wasn't feeling well. Her belly was rebelling against her, making it uncomfortable to stand or sit for too long. After a long shower, she dried off and bent to pick up her dirty clothes to throw in the hamper. Noticing a little blood on her inner thigh, she realized why her belly hurt. She cleaned herself up with a quick spell and took care of the problem at hand before heading into her room to go to bed. Fred was waiting for her in the bed and she crawled into his warmth under the covers.

He began nuzzling her neck, pressing kisses just under her ear. His hands trailed along her sides, leaving a trail of fire behind them. Hermione grabbed his hand, stopping them in their tracks.

"Freddie, before you go any further, we have a slight problem." He let out a low chuckle at her statement and continued to trail kisses down her neck, making it hard for her to speak.

"We do? What would that be?" She struggled to pull away.

"There won't be a baby Weasley, if you get my meaning." Fred pulled his face away from her neck with a look of confusion on his face.

"Does that mean you started -" She nodded.

"Yes, it does. So no baby and no fun. Sorry Charlie." He gave her an odd look.

"Hey, Charlie is my brother!" She let out a loud laugh.

"Oh, Merlin, I know! It's a muggle saying. You wizards!" He let out a laugh as he buried his face in her hair.

"Well, lets go to sleep then. No fun to be had tonight." The smile stayed plastered on her face as he drew her up against his body and nuzzled her neck once again, this time to get comfortable before sleep. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but be a little disappointed that there was no baby.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ok, guys. For those that were grossed out by her starting her period, I'm extremely sorry. However, there is no other way to get across that there was no baby! I know that some of you wanted a baby but for what I have planned, I hope that you will forgive me. Hopefully you will like my plan better (: If not, I'm so sorry! Anyways, you know what to do...gimme your thoughts on the chapter! Thanks bunches (:


	40. Chapter 40

A/N- First off, I want to give a huge shout out to my three reviewers, thatperfectsomeone, scrappy8, and headyTeamEdward, for reviewing every single chapter! You guys are awesome...inspiring (: There is also a guest reviewer that reviews quite often as well but as I'm not sure if it's the same one...but thanks anyways! Anyways, do you guys feel that I'm dragging this story on too long? Honest opinions! Let me know in a review, PM, or however you feel. There are still quite a few chapters left...and by quite a few I mean a lot! Anyways, let me know. For now, I'll give you another chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own squat, except the character Christine Smith. I would be amazingly rich if I did.

Chapter 40 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 29, 1998

Hermione just wanted to be warm again. She was running the register at Weasley's Wizards Wheezes, wearing a long sleeved burgundy shirt and she just couldn't manage to control her shivering. The warming spells that she had cast around herself didn't seem to be helping. She was grateful that there wasn't long left in her day before returning back to the Burrow to help Molly with the dinner for Bill's birthday.

Hermione continued on working, teasing Seamus and Dean when they would get the chance to come to the register for a few moments, even bringing the customers in on the fun. They both bore it well, teasing her back in turn, coaxing blushes out her that would make the customers laugh even harder. After a conversation that Dean had turned on her, making her blush in front of a customer, she shooed them away good-naturedly, telling them to get to work before they caused her to make any mistakes in her counting. This only earned more comments about her chasing after perfection as they walked away, drawing another blush to her cheeks. The smile on her face stayed, however, knowing that the two Gyffindor men truly loved giving her a hard time.

As Hermione turned to her next customer in line, however, the smile dropped off her face. She heard footsteps approaching from the back room to the counter and she could only pray that it was Fred. The woman before her stood straight and held herself with a sense of regality that was only reserved for those that thought they were better than those around them. Her blond hair was straight and flowed to her waist around her expensive robes. Her hands were empty and the expression on her patrician features was one of disgust. George rounded the corner to head towards the register as Astoria Greengrass began to speak.

"Granger, I don't know what you have done to my fiance to make him think himself in love with you, but I can assure you that you can consider this a warning to put an end to it. I will not be the laughingstock of Britain because my pureblood husband is 'in love' with and actively chasing after a pathetic mudblood. You've already snagged yourself more than you deserve by getting a bloodtraitor. Not that the Weasleys deserve much better but at least they're purebloods." George's eyes widened at her words but Hermione's wand flew up to her face before he could speak.

"Let me tell you this, Astoria. I have done nothing to your precious Malfoy. He's the one who came here and kissed me. Maybe you didn't see his face, but I'm the one who broke my hand on his face after he kissed me. As for what I deserve, it's none of your concern. Neither are the Weasleys. You just worry about getting you prissy arse out of here before I curse the hell out of you and don't you ever come back." Astoria glared at her for a few moments with a sneer on her face.

"Remember what I said, this is a warning." In a swish of robes, Astoria spun around and left just as quickly as she had a appeared.

Slowly, Hermione lowered her wand as she realized that Astoria was really gone. She let out a shaky breath but jumped as George put an arm around her shoulders and pushed her wand arm down the rest of the way.

"Merlin, George, how long have you been standing there? You just gave me a heart attack!" She let out a shaky laugh at the end of her sentence. He cracked a familiar smile at her.

"Well, I saw the whole thing. I was going to help you out but turns out you didn't need my help. Why don't you sit down for a minute before you pass out or something. Or have a heart attack or whatever it is you said you were having." She gave a chuckle at his lack of knowledge of muggle sayings. Taking a seat on the chair behind the register, George took over checking out the customers. Hermione saw him exchange a look with Seamus, who then disappeared through the rows of products. Just a few minutes had passed when Fred burst around the corner from the back, looking harried.

"Mia, are you alright? What happened?" He bent to her seated form and laid his hands on her knees. George was the first to speak.

"Mate, she's fine. I saw the whole thing. She handled it herself, I didn't even have to step in and she put that bitch in her place. I just thought that you should know. Hermione why don't you go in the back and tell him?" Hermione looked up at George and nodded. She allowed Fred to grasp her hand and pull her to a standing position, then lead her to the back room.

Once there, Fred drew her into his embrace and he brushed her hair away from her face.

"Tell me what happened, Mia." Hermione sighed deeply.

"Astoria came in and told me that she knew that I was somehow making Malfoy be in love with me and that she was giving me this one warning to stop. She told me that I didn't deserve you, that even though you were a bloodtraitor you were still a pureblood. I told her that I wasn't doing anything and that he came in a kissed me and that I broke my hand on his face when he did. Also that it wasn't her concern who I deserved or any of the Weasleys. Then that she needed to leave and never come back. Right before she left she said it was a warning and then left." Fred narrowed his eyes.

"That's definetly a threat, Mia. I think that we should tell Kingsley." Hermione began shaking her head.

"I'm not involving them. That's just ridiculous. As soon as they're married, he won't want me anymore, that's how the bond magic works. She's just being jealous right now. I'll tell Harry right now, but I'm not drawing the Ministry into it." Fred sighed and finally nodded his head, agreeing.

"You know, you make it really hard to say no to you. I think its because youre so sexy." Hermione gave him a smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss against his warm lips.

"I'm not sure if I believe that, but thanks." He moved to deepen the kiss but after a few moments she pulled away. He groaned. "Freddie, you know we can't get caught up in this right now. I have to be going here in a few minutes. I promised your mum that I would be home to help cook dinner for everyone since it's Bill's birthday party tonight. And being Bill, you know there is going to be plenty of firewhiskey tonight." A slow smile spread across Fred's face.

"That definetly means that this will be continued tonight." Hermione gave a giggle that was uncharacteristic of her and pulled out of his arms. She grasped his hands and headed out of the room towards the fireplace. As she stepped into the fireplace she called to George.

"George, I have to head to the Burrow to start cooking for Bill's birthday. You two are officially on the register now. I'm sure between the two of you, you can handle it almost as well as me. And thanks for having my back." Hermione heard George scoff at her insinuation that they couldn't handle the register as well as she did.

"You know I can do anything in this shop better than you Hermione! And anytime. Now go make me some good food!" She threw him daggers with her eyes as she was whirled away in a swirl of green flames.

When she appeared at the Burrow, she shook off the soot that appeared on her clothing and stepped out of the fireplace, meeting Ginny and Molly that had just started the meal for that evening. They were gossiping about the latest development in Ron and Lavender's wedding plans.

"I just hate to think of someone else cooking for my Ronnie's wedding. I won't get to do anything except watch them walk down the aisle." Ginny laid a comforting hand on Molly's shoulder.

"Mum, it'll work out. Just think of how stress free it will be for you. You can just focus on the good parts and not worry if everyone has had enough to eat. Let them feed you for once." Hermione nodded.

"She's right, Molly. When she puts it that way, I feel bad for putting so much stress on you by having ours at the Burrow. As the mother to the groom, you should be enjoying the event, not worrying every second that something will go wrong." Molly looked horrified at her words.

"Hermione, how could you even say that? I love having weddings here! Helping plan them is a joy for me. I wish that all my children would have wanted their weddings here, but I can't make their spouses choose that. I just got lucky that you and Harry are like my own children and wanted to marry here. I could never thank you enough for that." Hermione smiled as Molly drew her into a bone-crushing hug.

Hermione related the incident with Astoria to the two women as the meal cooked, filling the house with delicious smells. They were both shocked at the woman's forward actions. Molly agreed with Fred, wanting her to tell Kingsley, but both finally agreed that telling Harry would be better than nothing. Family members started to trickle in as the meal came closer to done, like the smells were enticing them in. Ginny was the first one to get to Andie when she arrived to steal Teddy away, beating out Fleur and Hermione.

The little infant was showing off his newest trick for the family, crawling all over the Burrow, and getting into everything he could get his hands into. He drew a yelp out of Percy when he scattered the papers that he had left out on the floor, crinkling them with his chubby fists. Teddy let out a terrified cry at the yelp, causing Percy to pick him up and shush him. A smile came to the infants face and his turqouise hair turned to bright red, causing a brilliant smile to break out on Percy's face.

The whole family had arrived when Hermione finally had time to steal Teddy away from his current captor, Angelina. His eyes were getting heavy, probably from all the new things that he had explored, and she began to rock him while standing in front of the large window in the living room. Teddy nuzzled his head into her breasts, tucking his arms underneath him, and went to sleep. Before he fell asleep, his hair had matched her shade perfectly, along with his eyes. As he slipped into sleep though, his hair resumed its turqoiuse shade that it normally had these days if he wasn't changing it. Hermione summoned a blanket and tucked it around him. Fred snuck up behind her, watching her with Teddy.

"Dinner's ready, love. You want me to take him and lay him down? Your arms have to be getting tired." Hermione gave him a grateful smile.

"Yes, that would be great. He's getting so big but I just can't help but love to snuggle him." She tried to hand him off to Fred, which became a little awkward. Teddy stirred a little at the lack of warmth. Fred began to rock him, putting him back to sleep before he woke up completely. After Teddy had quieted, he laid him on a pile of blankets on the floor, covering him with the blanket Hermione had over him. She gave him a satisfied smile, grabbed his hand, and led him into the kitchen.

Dinner was a loud affair, full of banter and gossip. Bill had informed Fred and Hermione that he had been to their new home earlier that day and put wards up, the same ones in place at the Burrow and the shop. George bragged on Hermione and her treatment of Astoria earlier that day, which prompted her to explain the threat that she had given her to Harry. Harry, who tried to play it off as nothing, didn't fool Hermione or Ginny. There was worry in his eyes. Hermione didn't say anything about it, however. She didn't want to ruin Bill's birthday party. Wedding planning was spoke of. Hermione told everyone that she had decided the menu, she had chosen the first song, and she had employed a small company to come in the next day to clean up. Christine prattled on for a few minutes about the details of she and Charlie's wedding and reception, but Lavender cut her off mid-sentence about the hotel that they were going to be having theirs at. Before she could finish her sentence, Molly stood up announcing that it was time for presents and cake.

The table was cleared and a large cake was presented. It was just a plain cake, but had the words "Happy Birthday Daddy" on them. Everyone started to clap, which led into the Happy Birthday song. Everyone presented the presents, which Bill opened enthusiastically. He received an array of things, from a box of prank items from Fred and George, to quidditch gloves from Ginny, book on quidditch teams from Harry. He seemed most pleased with the tickets to this years Quidditch World Cup for two from Hermione.

"What made you get me these, Hermione?" She gave him a wide smile.

"I remember the last time we all went that you took time off to come home from Egypt so it must have been something you really wanted to do. I figured you would have really wanted to go again. You can take Fleur or Charlie or whoever you want. I hope you like them." He gave her a smile that lit up his face, despite the scars that marred it.

"Of course I do! I just wish you hadn't spent so much money! But I'm not letting you take them back now!" A chuckle rang through the room as he put them back in the envelope they had come in.

Once the cake was served and everyone had had their fill, Bill broke out the fire whiskey. A cheer went up through the younger Weasleys causing Molly to send a glare their way.

"Oh no, you lot are not drinking here. I am tired and want to go to bed. I suggest you go to Shell Cottage to drink that, or Grimmauld Place. Fred, Hermione, Charlie, Ron, just make sure you floo home, no apparating." Everyone looked at her with pained faces but agreed. Ginny stood up.

"Let's go to Grimmauld Place. It's bigger, we'll have more room." Everyone agreed, standing up and heading towards the fireplace.

One by one, all the Weasleys and their significant others flooed to Grimmauld Place, shaking their robes off in the drawing room once they had quit spinning. They all settled in the many seats around the fire that remained. Harry disappeared to go get fourteen glasses, returning with a pot of tea for Fleur.

The bottles were passed around, glasses topped off a few times over. George and Angelina were getting quite indecent in their corner of one of the couches, as were Harry and Ginny. Fred was stroking the top of Hermione's hand with his thumb, sending shivers up her arm. Percy seemed to be loosening up, throwing his arm around Penny's shoulders, the other hand resting on her knee. Charlie and Bill were telling stories of their youth once again. Suddenly Lavender spoke up.

"Guys, this is boring. Let's play a game." Christine was the first to answer her.

"Like what? I've never played any games while drinking." Lavender laughed at her.

"What kind of rock have you lived under? There's all sorts. Spin the bottle, Seven minutes of Heaven, Truth or Dare,..." Ginny cut in.

"Don't laugh at her. Not everyone has done it all like you. We're not playing Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes of Heaven because we're all related. That's disgusting. We can play Truth or Dare though, as long as we can all handle hearing things about each other that we may not want to know." She looked to everyone around the room and they all gave a nod. Ginny continued. "Now, whatever is said in this room tonight is not to be repeated ever. Wizards oath?" Everyone nodded their head. "Ok then. I'll go ahead and start. I choose Bill then, since it's his birthday. Truth or dare?" Bill smiles at her.

"I'll start out easy for now. Work up to the bad stuff as I get drunk. Truth." Ginny gave him an evil grin.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity? Remember, you can't lie." Bill shot her a dirty look.

"15. Happy?" Charlie and the twins burst out laughing and Bill turned red. He looked at the group. "My turn now. Charlie, truth or dare." Charlie took a long swig on his drink and then refilled it.

"I'm not stupid. Dare." Bill let out a laugh.

"You have to strip down to your underwear and wear just that the rest of the night until you leave." Charlie nonchalantly stood up and pulled his shirt off, throwing it on the couch behind him, followed by his jeans. After he was done, he was standing in his red boxers before he took his seat, completely unbothered. He turned to George.

"Ok, George, my turn. Truth or dare." George had to think for a moment.

"I think that I'm going to go with truth for the moment." Charlie gave him a look that made him wish he had chosen dare.

"Do you like to give a girl oral sex?" George laughed.

"I love it. I'm up. Ginny, truth or dare." ginny gave him a disparaging look.

"I'm not stupid. Dare." George gave another deep laugh.

"I dare you to drink that whole glass of firewhiskey in one drink. Right now." Not breaking eye contact, Ginny raised the glass to her lips and drained the entire contents, not coughing a bit. Everyone in the room clapped at her show. Ginny turned to Lavender.

"Lavender, truth or dare." Lavender paled a little bit.

"Umm, truth I think."

"Who all have you slept with?" Lavender turned a pink color.

"Can't you ask a different-" Ginny broke in.

"No I can't. That's the question. You suggested the game. This is how it's played. You could have said dare. Now answer the question honestly." Lavender sighed.

"Alright. Seamus Finnegan, Terry Boot, Lee Jordan, Ernie McMillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Theo Nott, and Ron. Happy?" There was a stunned silence. "It's my turn now. Hermione. Truth or dare." Hermione felt her stomach twist. She reached down and dug for her Gryffindor courage.

"Dare." Lavender face spread with an evil grin.

"Strip down just like Charlie for the rest of the evening. Bra and knickers." Hermione felt her face flush but made herself stand up and push her jeans off her hips. When she pulled her shirt over her head, she held her arms out to the side. She felt extremely naked in her black lacy bra and knicker set.

"Happy, Lavender? My turn now. Harry, truth or dare." Harry looked nervous to be staring at Hermione in so little clothing.

"Um...I don't want to end up in no clothes so I'm going to say truth." Hermione gave him a genuine smile.

"How long did it take you to gather your courage to kiss Ginny after that quidditch game?" He blew out a thankful breath.

"Months. I wanted to do it as soon as I heard she had started dating Dean but I didn't have the guts." Ginny leaned over and gave him a long and lingering kiss, making the rest of the group groan. Finally he pulled away, laughing. "Ok, Christine, truth or dare."

She gave a smile. "Truth. I don't want to end up naked either." Harry laughed.

"Did you ever like Charlie when you went to school together?" Christine gave a quiet laugh.

"I had the biggest crush on him all through school but he was always so popular and a quidditch star. I loved quidditch but was really quiet and just faded into the background and never thought that he noticed me." There was a faint blush to her cheeks and neck but she turned to Fleur. "Fleur, truth or dare." Fleur shook her hair and smiled.

"Truth." Christine smiled.

"I hear you're part veela. Did you really mark Bill?" Fleur's laugh tinkled through the room.

"I did. It's just part of what we do. We have to or we die. Trust me, he enjoyed it. Angelina, truth or dare."  
Angelina lifted her chin defiantly.

"Dare of course." Fleur laughed.

"I dare you to drink two glasses of firewhiskey back to back and then spin in a circle." Angelina looked at her like she was crazy, but wasn't about to back down. She threw back the two glasses of firewhiskey but when it came to spinning the circle, she lost her balance and landed in George and Fred's laps. The room burst out laughing. After she had regained herself, she sat down and looked at Penelope.

"Penny, truth or dare." Penny looked genuinely frightened.

"Truth." Angelina smiled at her.

"Have you ever had sex with anyone besides Percy?" Penny went red with embarrassment but nodded.

"Yes, one other person. Percy, truth or dare?" Percy looked very secure with the fact that she had asked him.

"I think dare." When she saw the look that he had given her, she gave him a smile and his face faltered.

"I dare you to strip to your boxers for the rest of the night as well. Teach you to be so secure just because it's me asking you." The room burst out once again in laughter as he gave her an incredulous look. He stood up and began to strip his clothing off, first his shirt, then his jeans before he stood there in black boxer briefs. When he sat back down, Ginny scooted further away from him. Percy turned towards Ron.

"Alright, Ron. Truth or dare." Ron gave him a calculating look before he answered.

"Truth I believe." Percy looked thoughtful for a moment before he gave him a question.

"Who would you consider to be the absolute love of your life?" Ron paled. It took him a minute before he responded in a whisper.

"Hermione." The room stayed silent for thirty seconds before Bill cleared his throat, nudging Ron.

"It's your turn Ron." Ron nodded.

"Fred, truth or dare." Fred thought about it for a few moments before answering.

"I think that I'm going to go with truth. I don't fancy sitting around in my unders like Charlie." Ron gave him a sneer.

"Who did you sleep with before Hermione?" Fred hung his head and he felt Hermione thread her hand through his. He raised his head and met Ron's gaze.

"I slept with Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Demelza Robbins, and Parvati Patil. My turn. Charlie, truth or dare?" Charlie looked at him.

"Truth."

"Did you like Christine when you were in school, or was she as invisible to you as she thought?" Charlie sighed and hung his head.

"I didn't really notice her til the last few months of my seventh year. Then I really wanted to ask her out but she had a boyfriend then. That was my luck. I just got lucky with this law, and got the girl I wanted in school." Christine leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and he whispered something in her ear, making her smile. "My turn, Lavender. Truth or dare." Lavender gave a sweet smile to him.

"I choose truth of course." Charlie gave a sweet smile back.

"Are you grateful to Hermione for saving you from Greyback during the Final Battle?" Lavender looked surprised at his question, as did the rest of the group. Her voice faltered when she went to answer.

"How could you even ask that? Of course I am. Who wouldn't be? You're such an arsehole!" At the insult she hurled at him, Hermione stood up.

"Don't you dare say such things to him! He asked because we all wonder if you're capable of being grateful, because all you ever do is act like you are owed things. So don't insult him for asking a legitimate question." Lavender's eyes were blazing.

"Fine, it's my turn and I choose you, Hermione. Truth or dare." Hermione glared at her in return.

"Truth since I'm already damn near naked." Lavender grinned at her with an evil glint in her eye.

"We all know that your prissy ass was a virgin when you got with Fred. What I want you to answer is if the first time you two fucked if he actually came while fucking your inexperienced ass or if he had to finish himself? Parvati told me all about when they fucked, she said he was amazing, the ride of a lifetime. He had her screaming his name. When he ate her pussy out, she said it was pure exstacy. Apparently he's very talented with his tongue. Have you experienced any of that yet, Miss Priss, or are you too goody goody to do any of that?" Hermione didn't look at Fred or anyone else in the room, she kept her eyes on Lavender.

"Yes, I was a virgin because I'm not a filthy slag like yourself. We had a very moving experience when we made love for the first time, I'll have you know. He had no problems finishing with me. Whatever he did with Parvati, I don't care. That was three years ago and we weren't together then. Now if you're done trying to make me feel like dirt because I'm not as 'experienced' as you, please excuse me. I need to go to the loo." After throwing the rest of her drink back, Hermione stood with all the dignity she could muster and started to leave the room headed down the hallway.

Once she had locked herself in the loo at the end of the hall, she let the tears escape her eyes. She knew that Fred loved her and he would never do anything with other girls now, but just the picture in her mind of his face buried in between another girls legs drove a knife through her heart. Hermione was aware that he had done nothing this night to hurt her, only comfort her so she had no reason to be angry at him, but it was hard to not take this anger out on somebody. She conjured a glass and a bottle of firewhiskey. Pouring herself a glass, she drank it swiftly. The alcohol had already began to affect her decisions, so this glass was just to muddle her mind even more. A knock on the door brought her out of drunken state. Jerking the door open, she was surprised to find Lavender and not Ginny. Leaving the bathroom, she tried to manuever around Lavender but she stepped in front of her, blocking the path.

"I told everyone I was coming to apologize, but I just wanted to come have a few words with you. We both know that you're a fucking tease when it comes to Ronald. I really don't know why you can't stay away from him. He's mine now and we both know it. Just respect the fact that he will never be yours again. You have Fred. Leave what is mine alone or you will have trouble on your hands." Hermione looks at her incredulously.

"Look Lavender. I don't know what Ron has been telling you but I am not teasing him. He's the one who attacked me. I don't want him. I avoid him like the plague. Just sit back and watch sometime. Ask anyone in the family. I can't wait til you two get married so he'll quit wanting me. I want my best friend back, not some creeper that tries to rape me every time he gets a chance. You are out of line and need to get your facts straight before you just assume what is going on." Lavender looked irate at Hermione's accusations. Before Hermione could react or draw her wand, Lavender's hand rose in the air and hit Hermione in the face with a force that snapped her head to the side. A bright red handprint was the result of the contact. Ginny appeared at this moment, apparently coming to check on Hermione. Her wand was out before either Hermione or Lavender could react, and a bat bogey hex cast on Lavender. The green slime was horrible, dripping all over the floor from Lavender's whole body. She let out a shriek and hurried back into the room where the others were waiting.

There was yelling from the room that held the others, but all Hermione wanted was another drink. She went back to the bathroom and conjured up another glass for Ginny. They had another drink before joining the fray in the room where everyone was gathered. As soon as she stumbled in, Fred and George rushed to her side, seeing the red handprint on her cheek. Fred spoke first.

"What the fuck happened to you, Mia?" Hermione gave a small giggle. She was getting very drunk.

"I was in the bathroom, kind of crying, and that crazy bitch knocked like she needed the loo. I went to leave and she blocked my way and then told me that I needed to quit teasing Ron and that she couldn't understand why I just couldn't leave him alone. Told me that if I didn't leave him alone there would be trouble. As if I couldn't blow that bitch out of the water. Shit, I saved that bitch's life by killing Greyback. Guess this is gratitude these days." Hermione's words were slurred from the alcohol. She could hear Charlie and Bill chuckling in the background. Lavender was shrieking in indignation.

"That is not what happened. I went back there to apologize and she wouldn't accept it. She was being a bitch, telling me that she was going to steal Ron and then Ginny showed up and cast this horrible hex on me." To everyone's surprise, Christine stood up.

"Lavender, nobody believes you. We can all tell that Hermione is deeply in love with Fred and avoids Ron. I have no idea what happened between the two of them, but I can tell there is animosity there. If you really think that she is the one that is chasing after him, you are truly blind. You need to turn your anger where it is deserved, and that is him." The rest of the room, sans Ron, were nodding their heads. Ron stood up, fury in his eyes, and grabbed Lavender's hand.

"Come on, Lav, let's go. We're obviously not welcome here. We don't need to be around people that don't belive us." He drug her to the fireplace and pushed her in. She mumbled a place, Hermione assumed her home, Ron following her.

After they were gone, the room went quiet and everyone settled in their seats. The bottle of whiskey was passed around once again, Hermione and Fred once again drinking a glass. Bill finally broke the silence after his glass was empty.

"Well, after all that drama, I think that we're going to go home. I need some sobering potion." Charlie laughed and started to put his clothing back on. Hermione laughed and began to do the same, as well as Percy. Hermione looked at Bill.

"Bill, I really am sorry your birthday got ruined. The drama always seems to be based around me and I feel horrible. Like it's all my fault." Bill just laughed at her.

"Hermione, it's not your fault. You didn't do anything. It was that crazy bitch's fault. I don't know what her deal is, but she's nuttier than squirrel turds. It is plainly obvious that you don't want Ron. Don't worry about it." Hermione smiled and laughed at his analogy as she adjusted her top.

She and Fred headed towards the fireplace after giving everyone hugs goodbye and promises of another party soon. After landing in the burrow, they were soon followed by Charlie, who kissed her cheek and stalked quietly up the stairs. Fred wrapped his arms around her chest, kissing the sensitive spot in the crook of her neck, slowly walking her towards the stairs. She could feel his erection pressing against her hip.

Once upstairs in her room, she began to undress, as did Fred. He caught a look in her eye, and he stopped. He knew that she was upset but wasn't saying anything.

"What is it, Mia? I know that something is wrong. Just tell me." She closed her eyes and shook her head no.

"It's just stupid. I really don't even want to talk about it. It will go away, I know it will." Fred frowned at her.

"Mia, just tell me. That's what I'm here for." She gave a deep sigh and decided to give in.

"It's just the stuff that Lavender said about you Parvati. It bothers me, and I know that it shouldn't. It was before me. I'm not mad at you, I'm really not. It's just...for some reason the picture of your face between her legs makes me jealous and sick at the same time. Does that make any sense?" He gave a slight smile.

"Yeah, it does. You love me, so you're jealous. It makes perfect sense. Just realize that you are the one and only person that gets to experience that from now on. You. I love you. The past doesn't matter to me anymore. If you had been with other people I would feel the same way." She smiled at him before she leaned forward and gave him a small kiss that eventually deeped into a passionate kiss. Clothes were quickly shed in a passionate frenzy.

Fred left kisses in a trail of fire down the curve of her spine, making her back arch in response. Hermione reached behind her, grasping the back of Fred's neck, pulling her body flush with his. His hands traveled down the front of her perfect curves, making her shiver. When he reached her womanhood, he slipped his hand in her knickers, finding slick heat. She let out a low moan when his fingers began to rub her sensitive nub. He pushed her knickers down with both hands and she wriggled her bottom half out of them, which only made his erection harder. Fred eased her over to bed and bent her over it, running his fingers over her spine. She could feel his bulge on her core and she wanted nothing more than for him to plunge it inside her. Instead, as she was bent over, he worked two fingers inside her, swirling around and in and out, bringing her close to climax.

When Fred withdrew his fingers, he heard the groan of frustration and smiled inwardly. He positioned his cock at her entrance and made a swift entrance, just like she liked. Hermione gasped at the sudden full feeling she had when he entered her from behind. The grip he had on her hips was sure to leave bruises in the morning but she didn't care. He began to pound into her with a confidence that she wished she had. Hermione felt him reach down and fondle her breasts as he continued to pump into her, but this only intensified her pleasure. She could feel the pleasure beginning to pool inside her, readying to be set free, when Fred suddenly tugged on her hair. Not hard enough to hurt, but it got her attention. It pulled her head up, and sent the message that he was in control.

"Oh gods, Freddie, don't stop, please. Harder, gods, harder, please just fuck me..." He tugged her hair harder still and she felt herself let go.

The pleasure tipped her over into exstacy. As she was experiencing her orgasm, she felt a light slap to her ass from Fred. As her walls tightened down on his member, she could feel him stiffen inside her. A moan from him indicated that he came deep inside her. Collapsing on the bed together, they caught their breath and cooled off. Fred cast a quick cleansing charm and curled up next to Hermione, drawing her into his arms. The silence was driving him crazy.

"That was amazing, Mia. I hope I didn't do anything wrong. I know I've smacked your ass before but I've never pulled your hair. Did I hurt you?" She looked at him with a small smile on her face.

"No, Freddie, it didn't hurt. It felt good at the moment. I don't think I'd like it all the time but here and there it's ok. Quit worrying. If I didn't like it, I'd tell you." He gave her a smile.

"Alright then. I just wanted to make sure. I meant what I said earlier too. The past doesn't matter. It's the future from here on out." Hermione chuckled and scooted closer to him

"I know, that's what I was thinking of. I'm so lucky to have you Freddie." He kissed her but gave her a questioning look.

"Thanks, love, but you know its the other way around. I'm the only who's lucky to have you. Now just rest, wear off that alcohol." She gave another chuckle and saluted him.

"Yes, sir. I can do that." She moved clear up against him, her back against his chest. He laid his head down on his pillow, drew her as close as he could so as to keep her warm, closed his eyes, and let himself dream of a world where noone would call him bloodtraitor and she would no longer be a mudblood.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Whewww! That took two days to write...Anyways, I'm trying to make Ron a little less of a jerk, not sure if I'm portraying it that well. Lavendar is just Lavender, we all know that. So, please let me know your thoughts about he chapter and if you think this fic is too long...I like long fics but I know that some people down so let me know...thanks y'alll!


	41. Chapter 41

A/N- Okey doke, I'm back for yet another chapter...I hope y'all are enjoying (: We are drawing ever closer to Charlie's wedding! So excited...What can I say, I'm a sucker for weddings! On a more personal note, my little boy started Early Education today...he's only three years old and already making me feel like I'm eighty! Ugh! Quick thanks as always to those who read, review, follow, and favorite this story ((: I have three reviewers that review every chapter without fail (you know who you are!), and to you, you're the freaking the bomb! Anyways, on with the show! Enjoy...

Disclaimer: I only own the Harry Potter universe in my wildest and wettest dreams. Bhahaha!

Chapter 41 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 4, 1998

Hermione smiled as she felt arms snake around her waist. There were currently no customers at the counter at Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. She felt a chin rest on her shoulder. Turning around, she closed her eyes and nuzzled into the warm chest behind her and wrapped her arms around his slim waist. As she drew in a breath, she realized that something was wrong and opened her eyes, pulling back. A small yelp escaped her lips as she jumped back, realizing that the strong arms that had been holding her didn't belong to Fred. George let out a rumbling laugh as she backed into the counter.

"Bloody hell, 'Mione, I didn't think it would be that easy to fool you! How did you know it wasn't Fred though? You had your eyes closed when you had your face buried in my chest." Hermione shot him a dirty look before she started swatting him in the arm repeatedly. When he held his hands up in surrender, she finally quit.

"I knew it wasn't Fred because you didn't smell right. You don't smell the same." George looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"We don't smell the same? Has your brilliant mind finally gone haywire?" Hermione shot him an indignant look.

"No, it hasn't. You smell musky and kind of like spices. Fred smells like pine and lemons. I'm not crazy." George just shook his head and then started to smile.

"Hey, Fred!" He yelled across the shop for his twin. Hermione grimaced, knowing that he was going to make the story worse than it was. Fred came striding from the back room towards the front looking like he had the project he was working on still on his mind.

"Yeah, George, what's up?" Fred finally gave him his attention and George wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"I put the moves on your girl over there and she fell for it." Hermione could feel herself turning red.

"Freddie, I did not. Ok, I did, but only for fifteen seconds. As soon as I laid my head on his chest, I could tell by his smell that it wasn't you and I moved away from him, I swear!" To her surprise, Fred started laughing. Once he had controlled himself somewhat, he spoke.

"You can tell us apart by our smell?" She gave him the same indignant look she had given George and nodded.

"Of course I can. You two aren't completely identical." Fred gave her an amused look.

"Ok then, Mia, what do we smell like?" George scoffed under his breath and Hermione sent him a disparaging look.

"Well, George smells sort of musky and spicy and you smell like lemons and pine. You're both very distinct." Fred looked at her like he was considering her words.

"Is that the only way you can tell us apart, aside from the missing ear of course?" Hermione laughed.

"No, of course not. I just had my eyes closed when I turned around and leaned onto him. Smell is what I noticed first." Fred and George both laughed. George spoke this time.

"Well, don't go sharing your secrets on how to tell us apart. We don't need everyone being able to tell us apart." Hermione gave him a wry smile.

"George, the missing ear kind of gives it away. Just letting you know." She started to walk back towards the register to begin counting it down for the end of the day.

Even though it was the middle of the week, the Weasley family was having their big family dinner that night. Hermione was dreading it. She really didn't want to have to face Ron and Lavender. Ron hadn't been back to the Burrow since Bill's birthday party. Molly had questioned them about it, but they had pled ignorance due to the wizards oath they had taken to keep silence as to what was said that night. She assumed that he was staying at Lavender's house. Ginny had told her that Ron hadn't told Harry where he was staying either. Ron hadn't owled Molly to cancel for dinner tonight so Hermione assumed that the pair would be showing up.

Hermione finished up with the register while all the boys finished up with the stocking and cleaning up. Lee and Dean were quick with the broom, leaving Seamus to stock the shelves. Fred and George went to the back room to clean up their potion mess and package the remaining snackboxes. Hermione opened her book and read patiently while waiting on them to finish. She finished three chapters of Moby Dick when the twins emerged with triumphant grins on their faces. Fred bent down and gave her a kiss.

"Mia, you don't have to go to Gringotts with us. It's cold outside. You can go straight to the Burrow if you want." Hermione marked the spot in her book before she nodded and stood.

"Ok, that's fine. I'll just floo there then. See you boys at home." She headed for the fireplace. After throwing the floo powder and muttering her destination, she spun away in a flash of green flames.

Hermione stepped into the familiar warmth of the Burrow's kitchen. It was already crowded with family members. She was fairly sure that Fred and George were the only ones not there. Christine, Penny, and Angelina were helping Molly prepare the meal. Ginny had stolen Teddy from Andie and she and Harry were making faces at him on the couch. Charlie and Bill were in the living room speaking in low voices with Arthur. Percy was talking with Ron at the table. Fleur was seated at the table also drinking a cup of tea. Lavender was nowhere in sight. Hermione was greeted enthusiastically by all the women. Her offer to help prepare the meal was turned down, so she headed into the living room to visit with the rest of the family. She was greeted with kisses on the cheek from Charlie, Bill and Harry, after which she took a seat next to Ginny. Teddy leaned over and grabbed a handful of her hair, stuffing it in his mouth, causing everyone in the room to erupt in laughter. As she she gingerly fished her hair from the infant's grip, Arthur stood and went to the kitchen. Hermione shot a look at everyone in the room.

"Guys, I'm really sorry for all the horrible stuff I said the other night. I never talk like that. I was really drunk." To her surprise they all started laughing. Bill spoke first.

"Hermione, you just said all the things that we wanted to. We know that you never talk like that, that's why it was so great that you did. It was priceless. I wish that I could play it over and over. We were just brought up that you never say those kind of things to a woman no matter how much she deserves it. A man, fine. But you always respect a woman. You just did what we couldn't." Charlie gave another chuckle.

"You were my knight in shining armor too, Hermione. I thought you were going to tear her head off or something when she called me an arsehole. You jumped up, half naked, hair swirling around, magic dancing in your eyes, and called her out on it. Pretty much told her what a selfish...well you know what...she is. It was great entertainment." Hermione buried her face in her hands.

"Yeah, I still can't believe I got mostly naked. I don't know what the hell I was thinking." Charlie just kept laughing.

"Don't worry Hermione. All the Weasley boys have seen their fair share of naked women. Seeing you in your bra and knickers didn't phase us. Well, maybe not Ron or Percy. Or Harry. But we'll leave Harry out of the discussion since he's pretty much your brother." Hermione looked over at Harry, who was looking a little green at the thought of her in her bra and knickers. Hermione gave a small smile.

"So has Ron talked to any of you?" They all shook their heads no. Charlie rubbed his hands down his face before speaking.

"He won't make eye contact with any of us and won't talk to any of us. The only one he'll say anything to willingly is Percy. Why, I don't know. He's said a few words to Penny and Christine but they're really short and kind of hateful. I guess he did say a few words to Fleur but I wouldn't count on him speaking to you, Hermione." Hermione gave him a ghost of a smile.

"Oh, that's fine. I pretty much figured that's how it would be anyways." The conversation came to a halt when Andie came in to check on Teddy. Fred and George followed shortly after, announcing that dinner was ready.

Everyone filed into the kitchen to have a seat in their respective spots at the table. It was especially crowded, but it never really mattered. However, tonight, there was a tension in the air that just wouldn't go away. Hermione had Andie on her left side, who was holding Teddy, trying to feed him mashed potatoes and smushed up roast beef. Fred and George were laughing at the infant, who was getting more food on himself than in his mouth. Charlie and Bill were discussing what time the next day their final robe fitting would be for Charlie's wedding. Fleur, Angie, and Molly were discussing the baby. Ron was eating quietly, not speaking to anyone. As time went on, the tension became more palpable. Finally, Molly slammed her fork down, causing all conversation at the table to halt. Molly stood up.

"There is something going on here and I want to know what. I want to know right now." Her eyes traveled from each person sitting at the table. Finally George was the one to speak.

"Mum, we can't tell you. We all took a wizards oath that we wouldn't speak of it." Molly's gaze was full of fury.

"What do you mean you all took a wizards oath? Do you know how serious those are?" The whole table nodded. Charlie was the next to speak.

"We decided to play truth or dare and we all took a wizards oath not to speak of what was said that night. Therefore, we can't talk about what the problem is." Molly's eyes grew big.

"Does this have to do with why Lavender isn't here?" Molly looked at Ron, demanding an answer.

"Yes. Mostly because of Hermione." Molly looked at Hermione disapprovingly. The rest of the Weasley family had indignant looks on their faces. Molly started to chastise Hermione.

"Hermione, Lavender is a part of this family too. You can't go around starting fights with her. You can't drive her away just because you've been around longer. You're going to have to try to get along with her." Hermione stood up quickly, her hair swirling around her as her magic started to dance out of control.

"That crazy bitch hit me in the face!" There was a collective gasp from the table. Ginny scolded her.

"Hermione, the oath! You can't say anything!" Hermione gave her a small smile.

"I didn't say anything that was said. I said what she did. Our oath was that we wouldn't repeat what was said." There was a sigh of relief around the table. Hermione turned back to Molly. "That crazy bitch hit me in the face and she didn't turn up today because she doesn't want to face us because she knows she was wrong. I'd like to thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt and asking me my side before you just assumed that I would do something horrible to her to run her off." She turned to the other women seated at the table. "I think I want a girls night out. Who wants to go with me?" Ginny wiped her mouth and jumped out of her seat.

"I'm always ready for a girls night with you, Hermione. Where are we going?" Hermione considered it for a moment before answering.

"I think just the Leaky Cauldron. Nowhere we have to get all fancy for. Just somewhere we can get some drinks and have a good time." To everyones surprise, Christine spoke up.

"I'll go with you. I don't get much girl time." Hermione and Ginny both gave her a smile. Penny and Angelina both begged off with excuses of having to work.

Fred gave Hermione a worried look as she put on her heavy cloak and headed towards the floo. He stood and met her at the fireplace.

"Have fun, Mia. Promise me you'll be careful. Watch my crazy sister." Hermione gave him a smile. Ginny shot him a dirty look.

"I'll be just fine, Freddie. So will Ginny. We're just going to drink and let loose. You know, girls night." Fred let out a laugh and shooed her towards the fireplace opening.

Once the three women had landed in the Leaky Cauldron, they searched for a table. They found a table in the back, a booth with rips in the seat and gouges in the table, but was away from the crowd at the bar. Christine seemed out of her element so Ginny went to the bar to order them a bottle of firewhiskey. Ginny returned quickly carrying a full bottle with three glasses with a smile on her face. Setting them down, she poured the whiskey into the glasses until they were full and passed them out. All three girls knocked them back in two drinks, refilling them almost immediately. After starting on their second drinks, they were somewhat more relaxed. Ginny started some conversation.

"Mum was bang out of order with that comment about Lavender. I can't believe she would even say that. Pretty clever way you got around the oath we took, by the way. Bet Ron didn't see that coming." Christine gave a small laugh.

"That was pretty clever, I have to admit. You completely turned that around on Ron. I hope that Charlie isn't angry at me for coming." Hermione snorted at her.

"Christine, if Charlie is angry, you need to tell him where to stuff it. The Weasley men have been ruled by a woman their whole life. I'm not saying to rule him, but exert some power here and there. Charlie definetly likes to drink so he has no right to tell you that you can't. You're out with his sister and me so it isn't like you're out trying to pick up single wizards or something like that. Plus, we're at the Leaky Cauldron, not at the muggle clubs getting into trouble like Ginny and I tend to do. We've already had to promise to have a chaperone when we go to the muggle clubs. I also wanted to tell you that I was sorry for that night." Christine looked at her confused.

"Sorry for what?" Hermione gave her a pensive look.

"Well when Lavender insulted Charlie I stood up and started in on her and I didn't even give you a chance to tell her off. He's your fiance, not mine. I didn't even think about it at the time, but later I did and I didn't want you to think that there was something between us. I truly just look at him like an older brother. Of all the Weasleys Charlie and George are the ones that I'm the closest to. It used to be Ron but after the Final Battle, things with him pretty much went to shit." Christine gave a lilting laugh and took another drink.

"Oh, Hermione, don't worry about any of that. I was glad that you stood up to that bitch. I can't stand that woman, I've never been able to. I was just raised in a very uptight home where you don't ever say anything. I wouldn't have stood up for him because that's not how I was raised. So when you did, I was very happy. I'm very aware that you and Charlie don't have anything between you. I can tell that you are very much in love with Fred, I could see it in your eyes at George's wedding. I also know exactly how Charlie feels for me. He may not show it in front of all of you, but he loves me very much. I love him just as much. Whether it's the bond or love, we'll never know but it isn't going anywhere so we might as well just go with it." Ginny reached out and squeezed her hand as she spoke.

"Christine, I can tell he loves you. He never used to bring girls around or put his arms around anyone except me. Or Hermione. But we're like sisters to him. There are signs of affection he gives you that he would never give the few girls that we did get to meet. So we do know that he does love you. Don't worry about that. So are you guys going to have kids right away or wait for awhile after you're married?" Hermione's eyes lit up at the talk of babies. Christine considered the question before answering.

"I think that we decided we're going to wait for awhile before having a baby. We have three years so I think we're going to just take a little time to enjoy being married first." Ginny nodded.

"I can understand that. If I tell you guys a secret it can't leave this table. You guys promise?" Hermione and Christine both nodded. Ginny continued. "Harry and I haven't been using any contraceptive spells since we've been married. We're hoping to get pregnant sometime soon." She drank the rest of her drink as the other two women shrieked in delight. After Hermione drank the rest of her drink and poured the three of them a refill, she looked at the other two women.

"I have something to tell you but you have to promise you won't tell." Both women nodded earnestly. "Well there was one night that I was out of potion and Fred and I messed around anyways. We forgot a spell also. I'm not pregnant, thank Merlin, but Fred really hoped that I was. I told him that we couldn't do that anymore until we were officially married. The waiting is killing us!" All three women started giggling and took another drink from their glasses. Once their giggling was under control Ginny's face became serious.

"Hermione, how completely brilliant would it be if we were pregnant together? Our kids would be almost the same age and they would do everything together!" Hermione's eyes got wide and a smile broke out on her face.

"Harry would love that! His neice or nephew and his kid growing up together, literally because they're almost the same age. I'm just not sure if that's possible though, Gin." Christine laughed.

"Yeah, I'm just not sure if that's something that you guys can plan out." Ginny shrugged.

"It's fun to dream though, right?" All three women laughed and drained their drinks again. The bottle of whiskey was now gone. Christine stands up.

"Well, girls, it's been fun but we should probably call it a night. We've been here over two hours and I can hardly walk. I think I want to stay the night with Charlie if you know what I mean." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making Hermione and Ginny both laugh.

The drunken trio made their way to the fireplace after paying their tab at the bar. They disappeared in a whoosh of green flame, landing them in the kitchen of the Burrow. Their giggles were anything but quiet. The light in the living room was on, indicating that somebody was awake in there. Charlie, Fred, and Harry were waiting for them patiently, smiles on their faces when they entered. Christine surprised them all when she skipped across the room and threw herself into Charlie's lap. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a kiss. Fred and Harry stared incredulously at the scene in front of them until Hermione and Ginny nudged them. Harry leaned down and kissed Hermione on the cheek as Ginny pulled him towards the floo to head back towards Grimmauld Place. Hermione led Fred towards the stairs. Before leaving the room, she shot a look towards Christine and Charlie.

"Goodnight, you two." Christine looked up with a sexy smile on her face.

"Night, 'Mione." Charlie gave her a half-hearted wave as he focused most of his attention on his fiance.

Fred and Hermione made it to her room before she heard Christine's giggles and Charlie's heavy footstep's on the stairs as he carried her up. All of a sudden all went quiet as he cast a silencing spell. Fred shook his head.

"What did you and Ginny do to that girl? I've never seen her like that. I couldn't believe she even went with you two." Hermione just laughed at him.

"We just got her drunk. She said that she and Charlie love each other very much. We talked about their relationship a little bit. I hope you don't mind but I told them that we didn't use protection the one time." Fred's eyes got large.

"What possessed you to tell them about that? I'm not mad, I'm just wondering how it came about." Hermione smiled a little.

"Well, Ginny told us a secret and then I told them that. I made them promise not to tell. Ginny did come up with an idea. We decided it would be fun to be pregnant together, then our babies would be able to grow up together." A look of surprise came over Fred's face.

"You realize that they'll grow up together even if you aren't pregnant together, right?" Hermione nodded.

"I know, it would just be fun to be pregnant with my best friend and my sister. But it probably won't happen anyways. We were just dreaming while we were drunk." She laughed. He gave her a smile as he pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

He bent down to kiss her, which she more than ready for. As he deepened the kiss, she leaned into his warm body and seemed to melt into him. She felt her clothes come off and as he laid her on the bed, she closed her eyes and let the pleasure overtake her senses.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Damn, I can't believe we're already 41 chapters in. So many more to go! I've got the outline done and it goes to where Hermione has their first child. Crazy! Anyways...you crazy kids know the drill! Leave me your thoughts on the chapter (: thanks y'all!


	42. Chapter 42

A/N- Well, since the last two chapters were pretty dramatic, this one is just kind of a filler chapter. Sorry guys! They can't all be amazing, right? But on the upside, the next chapter is Charlie's wedding ((: Yay! Once again, thanks to my three reviewers, scrappy8, thatperfectsomeone, and teamHeadyEdward for being the absolute bomb and reviewing every chapter...I'm beginning to think however, that you guys are my only reviewers. Are people losing interest in my story? Be honest y'all! Anyways, here's the next chapter, hope it's not too boring for ya...

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Harry Potter world and all it's characters. I do own Christine Smith though.

Chapter 42 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 5, 1998

Hermione yawned as she sat in her usual seat at the table for breakfast. Her sleep had been fitful the night before due to nightmares. Rodolphus LeStrange featured in some, along with Bellatrix, her parents in others. Fred looked tired as well from being up half the night comforting her. Charlie looked at her concerned.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, you look terrible. Did you sleep at all?" She gave a small laugh that turned into a yawn.

"A little bit. I had a lot of nightmares. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, my parents...you know, the usual. Feel bad for Fred, he's the one who was woke up for no good reason." Fred leaned over and bumped shoulders with her.

"That's my job, Mia, to stay up with you and take care of you." Hermione gave him a small smile. Molly turned from her spot at the stove where she was frying bacon and came to stand at the table facing Hermione.

"Hermione, dear, I wanted to apologize for my assumptions last night. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you. You've never given me a reason to doubt your good will towards everyone in this family before and I can't believe that I let Ronald's words sway that. After you left, there was quite the argument and everyone that was left said that your words were the truth. Can you please forgive me?"

Hermione eyed the red head for a moment before she gave her a smile and nodded.

"Of course I can, Molly. That's what family does, forgive one another." Molly wrapped her arms around Hermione's tiny frame and gave her a squeeze before planting a kiss on top of her head. Charlie cleared his throat to get Molly to let her go so Hermione could breathe. He clapped his hands together, signalling that he had taken over the lead of the conversation.

"Now, I realize that today is the final fitting of Bill and I's robes, but tonight is my stag night! Don't worry, ladies, nothing crazy will be going on like on George's. We're just going to a professional quidditch match, drinking some firewhiskey of course, then coming home. Nothing horrible. We can't get into too much trouble with quidditch and firewhiskey." Pained looks were shot between Charlie, Fred and Ron as Hermione and Molly burst out laughing.

Fred and Hermione apparated to Weasley's Wizards Wheezes together, where he promply left her to find George and discuss the upcoming quidditch event. The gave her an idea, so she sent scribbled out a note to Ginny and Christine, hoping that they would both answer before the end of the day.

The work day had barely began when she received her reply from Ginny, agreeing to go Christmas shopping in muggle London with her that evening. It seemed that Lee, Seamus, Dean, and Neville had also scored invitations to the quidditch match that was taking place that evening. In the downtime between customers, Hermione started to make a list of potential gifts for friends and family. She knew that friends would eventually show up at the Burrow on Christmas Day, they always did. Neville and Luna being paired together was brilliant. Luna had told Ginny that they were spending Christmas Eve with Augustus Longbottom and Christmas Day with Xenophilus Lovegood, who happened to be very close to the Burrow. Hermione was sure that Andie and Teddy would be making an extended stay, as would all the family that had already moved out. The holidays were, afterall, a time for family.

Round mid-afternoon, a note came for Hermione tied to a magnificent eagle owl from Christine stating that she would be delighted to accompany she and Ginny into muggle London for Christmas shopping. With a bright smile on her face, Hermione jotted another note out to Ginny, informing her that Christine would indeed be joining them, and sent it off with a shop owl.

Once closing time came round, Fred and George emerged from the back room, leaving it clean from their experiments and packaging of the day. With the evenings exitement ahead of them, Dean and Seamus had already stocked the shelves, and Lee was almost done sweeping the floors. The identical pair waited patiently on the Brightest Witch of her Age to reset the register and count out the profits to be put into the bookeeping book. Humming slightly to herself with a smile on her face, she entered all the information calmly and correctly. After the money was put into the profits bag, she handed it to the twins.

"Here you go. Now, you two have a great time tonight. Don't get into any trouble. I'm trusting you, remember that. Tell Charlie to have fun for me, alright." Fred gave an alarmed look.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Hermione gave a puzzled look.

"I"m flooing to Grimmauld Place. I'm meeting Ginny and Christine there and then we're going into muggle London to go Christmas shopping." Fred appeared to be battling with himself.

"You know I hate it when you go out by yourself." Hermione got an indignant look on her face.

"I won't be by myself. I'll be with Ginny and Christine. You know better than anyone else that I can take of myself if I have to. I've take care of Harry and Ron for years. So stop worrying." Fred mentally shook himself and nodded.

"I know that, love, I just worry about you. I don't know what I'd do without you. You have fun and spend lots of money on me." She gave him a wide smile before giving him a kiss. Snatching up her purse, she stepped into the fireplace, threw the floo powder and called out ' Grimmauld Place '.

As it turns out, she was the last to arrive at Grimmauld Place, Christine and Ginny were sharing a cup of tea as Harry had already left in hurry so as not to be late for the quidditch match. After chatting for a half hour or so, the three women bundled up in their jackets, rather than cloaks, walked to the apparition point in the back of the yard, grasped hands and let Hermione take the lead.

Hermione took them to a large shopping mall, similiar to the one that she had taken Fred to on her birthday, and led them inside. It was apparent that Christine had never been inside a store this large. The three women took their time, traveling from store to store, buying trinkets as they caught their fancy. Hermione found Teddy a train set right away that she just knew that he would love (she planned on charming it to change colors just like his hair), Percy a book on how the ambitious truly succeed, Fleur a popular muggle book what to expect when you're expecting. She stopped and bought a bottle of fine muggle whiskey for Charlie, hoping that he would appreciate it. For Molly, she bought her more movies for the video player, more romances.

As Hermione moved into a jewelery store, her eyes fell onto a silver pocketwatch. She signaled for the salesman, who promptly came over to help her. Hermione shot him a winning smile.

"Can I see this pocketwatch?" The small man gave her a small smile and unlocked the case, withdrawing it. He handed it to her, and she ran her fingers over the outside of the case. Flipping it open, she gasped, The inscription was beautiful.

'The only time that matters, is the time I spend with you'

"Can you add to this, sir?" The salesman looked at her questioningly. "I want to add 'Love, Mia'" He nodded.

"I can do that in less than ten minutes if you care to wait." She gave a grateful nod.

She milled around the shop, looking around at the rest of the items and found a ring for Molly that she hoped she would like. It was what muggles called a Mothers Ring, having all the birthstones of her children on it. It would have to be picked up later in the week but it wasn't going to be an inconvenience. After the salesman brought out the pocketwatch with the inscription added, she gladly paid the price for the watch and ring, and headed off the find Ginny and Christine. They had gotten a fair amount of shopping done themselves. Hermione could not contain herself about Fred's gift however.

"You two, I have to show you the gift I got Fred, but you have to swear you won't say anything. Tell my, truly, if you think he'll like it." Ginny and Christine eagerly nodded their promises. Hermione pulled out the pocketwatch that she had just purchased. Both women gasped, reaching for it. When Ginny popped the clasp, a tear slid down her cheek.

"Oh my Godric, Hermione, he's going to flip when he sees this. You two are so sweet it makes me sick." Christine nodded.

"I have to admit that this is extremely sweet. I think that he's going to love it. You have no worries." Christine handed it back to Hermione, who put it back in the bag from the jeweler.

"Ok, I just wanted other opinions and I knew that I could trust you two." They gave small laughs before she could continue. "However, it has gotten pretty late. Should we continue this another night?" Ginny and Christine both nodded. The three women started to head for the nearest exit and then the nearest deserted alleyway. Hermione spoke.

"Alright, here is where we go our seperate ways. I'll see you all later." Hermione turned on the spot with a crack, landing at the familiar spot in the yard at the Burrow. As she opened the door to enter the kitchen, she was nearly bowled over by Molly Weasley.

"Oh, dear, I was so worried! You were gone for so long!" Hermione stepped back with a confused look on her face.

"Molly, the boys were supposed to tell you that Ginny, Christine and I were going Christmas shopping together." Molly nodded her head.

"They did, dear, I was just starting to get worried because it was starting to get late." Hermione patted her cheek and gave her another hug.

"I'm just fine, as are Ginny and Christine. We all apparated at the same time, just to different locations. We just got caught up shopping in the mall. In fact, I found you the most amazing gift." Molly started to shoo her away.

"Now, dear, you know you don't have to get me anything." Hermione started to laugh.

"Oh, Molly, you've been like my mum since I was twelve years old. I want to." Hermione turned when she didn't hear anything in response. Molly had started to cry. Hermione hurried to her and put her arms around her shoulders.  
"Molly, don't cry. I'm sorry I said it, I did'nt mean to upset you." Molly cried harder.

"Hermione Jean, I'm so proud that you would consider me a second mother. You've been like a daughter to me since I've met you. And no, you will be my daughter. You and Ginny have always been best friends, sisters even. Now you really will be. This law hasn't been right or even fair, but it has brought fair fortune to you and this family. I love you." Hermione was speechless for a moment. Just a moment.

"I love you too, Molly." They embraced until Arthur found them that way on his way to fill his teacup. They parted ways, Hermione going upstairs with her purchases to shrink and hide them.

Once she was sure they were well hidden from her prankster fiance, she decided to shower before she laid down in bed. She read by the light of her wand for well over and hour before she dropped off to sleep. It was after midnight when Fred found her with the book open in front of her, wand in her hand. He moved both, covered her up, and climbed in next to her, pulling her close. He was proud of himself of this night. He had had a fabulous night out with his brothers, drank, watched quidditch, and the only girl that had come into his thoughts was the one that was emptying his Gringotts vault on Christmas gifts. Smiling to himself, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, and drifted off to sleep.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` By far not my favorite chapter, and a short chapter, but I told y'all it was a filler! They have to exist! So anyways...you know what has to happen. Tell me what ya think! Are there other people out there that review besides my three loyal reviewers, whom I love with a passion! I'm giving you guys this chapter but since I'm American and it's Labor Day this weekend you guys probably won't get another one til Tuesday of next week. Hope y'all can last that long! And Alright, I'm outta here...Thanks again guys!


	43. Chapter 43

A/N- Alrighty guys, I wasn't the most pleased with the last chapter, plus it was super short, but they can't all be stellar I suppose. I just hope that I can do this one justice. I've been kind of dreading this one for the simple fact of Christine's pureblood parents and Hermione being a muggleborn. Not sure yet how much interaction I'm going to make, if any. Guess we'll see how it play out. I'm a strong believer in shooting from the hip! Once more into wedded bliss, my friends (:

Disclaimer: I only wish that I own the Harry Potter universe. I do, however, own Christine Smith.

Chapter 43 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 7, 1998 Charlie & Christine's Wedding

By the time that Hermione had made it down the stairs and took her spot at the table for breakfast, Charlie and Bill had already left for preparations for the wedding. Hermione couldn't say that she was jealous. Of course, this only brought to realization that her own wedding was in just over a month. Her blood ran cold in fear for just a moment before she remembered that she loved Fred with her whole heart. Most of the major planning was completed, thanks to herself, Ginny, Molly and Fleur. There were, of course, minor details to take care of, but nothing that they wouldn't be able to handlle as a family.

Hermione listened to Fred, Ron, and Arthur chatter on as Molly made her famous cinnamon pancakes with bacon and sausages while she sipped tea. Charlie's wedding would be taking place at Christine's ancestral home, a large manor located in Wiltshire. Christine had owled her the night before and asked her if she would mind giving a speech after the meal but before the dance. She had accepted, flattered that she would ask her after knowing her for such a short time. After mere moments, Ginny had appeared and told her that she had accepted the same gesture.

Ron was still avoiding Fred and Hermione at all costs, unless his mum made him speak to them or pass them food at the table. Charlie thought it was hilarious and would laugh to himself when Ron would turn red after passing a plate of food to Hermione. Lavender still had not visited the Burrow, and Hermione wasn't sure if Molly would allow it anytime soon without an apology. To be honest, Hermione was just ready to be over it. As much humor as it seemed to bring Charlie, her drunken behavior from that night still embarrassed her.

Once Molly had finished the pancakes, the Weasley men decended on them, leaving her happy with her tea. After she had eaten a piece of toast she excused herself from the table.

"Well, boys, I don't have Ginny here to beautify me today. It's going to take me a little longer than normal. Please excuse me from the table." Fred squeezed her hand and Arthur pressed a kiss to her cheek. Ron steadfastly ignored her.

Hermione stepped into the shower, letting the hot water massage her muscles that weren't sore yet. The familiar scent of peaches filled the bathroom and Hermione smiled to herself, knowing that it would drive Fred crazy. Once she had stepped out and dried herself off, she began to work on her hair. As much as she liked to wear it straight, she had decided to wear it wavy for the wedding that day. It fit her personality better. Once it was charmed wavy, she used her wand to help it up into an updo similiar to how she had worn it at the Yule Ball. Soft waves framed her face, giving her an eloquent look. She wore a little bit more makeup than usual, applying a soft shade of brown eye shadow, and mascara in addition to her usual. After using her wand to apply an impervious charm to her makeup, she applied perfume.

Stepping out of the loo, she found Fred dressing in his dress robes. She had to admit that he looked rather dashing in all black. Pressing her naked body up against him, she pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering for a moment, still able to taste his mothers homade syrup on him. Hermione backed away when he playfully grabbed for her, knowing that they didn't have time for any hanky panky. She took the crimson dress off the hanger and slipped it over her hips. From the cap sleeves to the hem that reached a few inches above her knees, the dress screamed Gryffindor. Hermione sat down and slipped on the heels that she had worn to George's wedding, adding four inches of height to her short frame. When she stood and spun a circle, waiting Fred's judgement, she received an open-mouthed stare in ...

"Mia...you look bloody amazing. If we didn't have to go to my brother's wedding I could shag you right now." Hermione laughed at his loss of words.

"Well, Freddie, I happen to think you look rather dashing yourself. But we do have to attend your brother's wedding so there will be no shagging at this time." His face looked somewhat crestfallen at the idea. He held his arm out for her and led her down the stairs, her blatantly ignoring Ron's stares as she walked by.

She and Fred opted to apparate rather than floo so there wouldn't be soot on their clothing, so Hermione wrapped her shawl around shoulders tightly. With Fred's arm around her waist, they turned on the spot with a crack and landed in a great expanse of land.

Upon entering the manor, Hermione's shawl was taken by a house elf that introduced himself as Wipple. The greatroom was classicly decorated blacks and silvers, making the room seem as if it was shimmering from a glamour charm that the whole of the guest list could see.

Fred guided Hermione to the hall where the the seats for the ceremony were set up, taking their seats on the grooms side of the hall. Harry and Ginny followed quite shortly after, Ginny taking the seat next to Hermione. She and Ginny made small talk while Fred spoke with the stranger next to him, a friend of Charlie's from Romania and Harry spoke to one of Charlie's quidditch friends from his school years. The hall began to fill more quickly, but those on Christine's side were noticably well-dressed and well-mannered.

Eventually, music began and Bill entered the hall with a woman that looked somewhat like Christine on his arm. They split at the end of the aisle, Bill taking his place by Charlie and the matron of honor taking her place by the where the bride would stand. Once the music changed, the crowd stood and Christine entered on the arm of her father. In Hermione's opinion, he looked every bit the pureblood aristocrat that Malfoy's father had.

Christine looked lovely in her own right. Her dress was long-sleeved and form-fitting, the bodice covered in lace. It belled out once it reached her hips, giving her the effect of looking like a princess. Her train was long, dragging the floor behind her. When she and her father reached the end of the aisle, he pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek and gave her hand to Charlie, then took his seat himself.

The minister began with the vows between the bride and groom, Christine with a small smile playing on her face, Charlie with a huge smile gracing his warm face. The minister droned on, speaking of duty to blood, duty to society and duty to your spouse. When he was finally told that he could kiss his bride, Charlie moved to lift the long train over Christine's head and got it tangled, making everyone laugh on his side of the room. Finally he lifted it off her head, pulling of a few tendrils of hair loose from her elaborate hairstyle, and threw the train over the head of the minister with a very audible but muttered 'Bloody wedding shit.' The room burst out in laughter, except for Molly, who looked horrified. Charlie gave Christine a winning smile.

"There, love, now that that's gone, you look lovely as ever, and I can snog you properly for the first time as your husband." Christine smiled at him and leaned forward with her hands on his chest and kissed him, the crowd cheering them on.

Fred leaned forward, tapping George on the shoulder.

"Georgie, I think that tosser is trying to take our specialty. He is not the funny one. He's the strong one." George nodded his agreement and leaned over to carry on the conversation, but Hermione couldn't hear what they were saying anymore over the applause of Charlie and Christine leaving the hall.

The crowd moved effortlessly into the dining hall, but for the family of both bride and groom. They stayed behind for photos, which were quite time consuming considering the amount that Christine's family wanted. Hermione tried to start conversations with both her mother and sister, but neither seemed inclined to continue the gesture. She did learn, however, that Christine's sister's name was Katrina and she was indeed married but he had been killed during the war. After the few poses that the Weasleys wanted were taken, they dismissed to the dining hall with the rest of the guests.

Hermione found she and Fred's name place at a table with Katrina and one of Christine's male cousins. The cousin, Timothy, seemed quite interested in Fred and George's business and went through most of the meal exchanging stories of how they had come up with ideas for most of their products. It seemed like the meal had just started before that they were disappearing into the tables, just like they did at time for speeches had arrived.

Christine's father stood and gave a very distinguished speech, welcoming Charlie to the family and hoping that he would finally start to embrace his bloodline and heritage and try to make his daughter happy. Charlie simply took a shot a firewhiskey a gave his new father-in-law a smile. Katrina stood to give her speech to her sister, wishing her happiness with her new marriage and hoping that she could rise above the things she must now overcome in her life. Christine didn't crack a smile at her sister, simply nodded to acknowledge that her speech was over.

Arthur made his speech next, his neck a little red from his son's in-laws jabs, welcoming Christine to his family and letting her know that she would always be just as good as one of his own. As best man, Bill took the stand next and also took the longest. He tried to embarrass Charlie by bringing up all his old flames, how the whole family thought that Charlie would be forever a playboy, but the law had found Charlie his perfect match. He welcomed Christine with open arms, promising to 'knock some sense into him' if Charlie ever needed it, and pull him out of the pub if there was ever a need. Both bride and groom were laughing by the time he sat down. Ginny stood up next, both she and Hermione agreeing that Hermione would go last.

"Charlie, I have to admit that I never thought I would see the day that you would be married. You were always the Weasley playboy. But now that it's here, I have to say that I'm glad it's Christine. There couldn't be a better girl out there for you than her. She takes your little quirks in stride but has enough backbone not to take your shit either. What can I say, she fits in great with a family full of Gryffindors. I just want you to know that I'm glad that you're finally hitched to a girl you love and that you're happy. Christine, I have to admit that I had my doubts about you at first. I was scared that you were going to be just like your stuck up aristocratic family and that you were never going to fit in with us. But I will be the first one to admit that you proved me wrong, and I am so happy you did. I gained another sister because of it. Yes, the whole wizarding world knows that the Weasleys are purebloods. But we're also bloodtraitors, and proud of it. Now that I know you don't care about that, and you love my brother, I'll forever treat you as family, and I'll forever hex the bloody hell out of him if he hurts you. I love you sis."

Most of the room started cheering and applauding her speech, including Christine and Charlie. Ginny went to where the bride and groom were seated and gave them each a kiss on the cheek before taking her seat. After the cheering died down, Hermione stood and moved to the middle of the room to make her speech. It was in this moment that she realized she was in a very pureblood environment and her mudblood scar was standing out loud and proud.

"Charlie, I can't claim to know you nearly as well as your siblings who call you the 'Weasley Playboy'. I do think that I know you well enough to say that you are the one Weasley who is just a little bit different than the others. You're more laid back, you don't care what people think. The rest of these red heads just fire off at the mouth whenever they're angry. You actually put thought behind you're actions, no offence to the rest of you Weasleys. I'm sure that this has made you feel like the odd man out for a long time now. I'm really happy for you that you've found the person that makes you feel like you belong now. You're my big brother and I love you. Christine, I'm just so happy that you're a part of this family and that I've gotten to know you so well. I hope that it continues. Once Fred and I are married in January, we'll well and truly be sisters and I can't wait. I love you both and wish you nothing but happiness."

Applause rang through the hall again as she took her seat. Fred gave her a kiss, complimenting her on her heartfelt speech. Everyone in the dining hall started to stand, moving to the dance hall.

As the music of the first song rang out, Charlie and Christine took their spots in the middle of the dance floor. Charlie still didn't dance well but did a good enough job to not embarrass himself. During the second dance, they danced together again joined with Bill and Katrina. As the third dance started, the crowd joined them on the floor. Fred spun Hermione around the dance floor with his usual grace. She made Harry dance with her, while Ginny laughed. George danced with her with as much grace as Fred. Charlie claimed his dance next, trying to exude grace, but failing with laughter.

Fred went to get her pumpkin juice from the refreshment table, leaving her standing next to Christine and Katrina. Hermione sidled up to Christine.

"Christine, this really is a beautiful wedding and reception." Christine smiled in response. Katrina, however, sneered outa response as Charlie walked up

"I just didn't realize that we would be having mudbloods on the guest list. Especially with it carved bold as brass into her muddy arm." Christine gasped. Charlie's face turned red as Hermione's mouth dropped open. Hermione turned to Katrina before anybody else could speak.

"Well if my muddy bloody offends you, as well as the scar that was carved into my arm by bigoted people like you, please allow me to find myself out the door. I wouldn't want to sully your good home." Hermione turned to leave but she heard Christine call out to her.

"Hermione, wait. Katrina, if her blood status bothers you to the point that she needs to leave, then I'm going too. I want to celebrate my wedding day with her. As does Charlie. So I'll be seeing you another day. Please tell Mother and Father I'll see them later."

Christine and Charlie followed Hermione to the refreshment table to tell Fred what had happened and that they were leaving. Along the way, they talked to Harry and Ginny, Bill and Fleur, George and Angelina, Molly and Arthur, Andie, Percy and Penny, even Ron and Lavender and they all politely detached themselves from their conversations, thanked the hosts for a lovely time and left.

After they had all apparated back to the Burrow, Hermione pulled Christine aside before following the rest of the red heads back inside.

"I want to thank you for what you did back there. I never would have wanted you to leave you own wedding but I appreciate that you would stand up for me like that." Christine pulled her into a hug.

"I grew up believing that same shit and you're the reason that I don't believe it anymore. You're just as good as they are, hell better than they are. I'm proud to call you my sister." A tear slid down Hermione's cheek.

"I think that you're going to fit in great with Ginny and I. Those boys won't know what hit them when the three of us get pissed off." Christine started giggling. Hermione started sniffing the air. "I think Molly's in there cooking. How about we go break in your wedding day the Weasley way?" Christine laughed and threw her arm around Hermione's shoulders, pulling her towards the door. Ginny opened the door and pulled the two of them into hug.

"Hope you two are hungry. Mum's in a mood to cook and Charlie's ready to drink." All three girls laughed and nodded their heads.

This wedding would be one for the books.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` I'm really not a huge fan of how this chapter turned out but I can live with it. This means one more month and our favorite couple will be up for matrimony! This chapter might have been a little boring but the next two chapters are a little more exciting!Yay (: Anyways, you guys all know what to do. Give me you thoughts in the form of reviews or PMs...thanks, as always!


	44. Chapter 44

A/N- Alrighty guys, Charlie is now hitched! (Yes, I'm aware I'm showing my redneck roots by using the word 'hitched, haha) I'm aware that I never said where he went for a honeymoon but I just never really felt that I could work it in. Plus, Charlie just really isn't to that kind of stuff...in my opinion, anyways. But, this is back down to business, they're back from wherever the hell they went (feel free to use your imagination!) and shit's bout to get real! *Pardon my french* -Once again, sorry for the short and somewhat crappy wedding scene for Charlie. I promise a thousand times over to do better for Fred and Hermione! Anyways, I've rambled on enough, especially for authors notes! Hope September is treating you all well! On with the show! P.S. I didn't have time to edit this chapter before posting it so please forgive major mistakes!

Disclaimer: In my wildest and wettest dreams, I own Harry Potter and all that it includes. However, I'm awake.

Chapter 44 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 12, 1998

Hermione was nibbling at her toast waiting on the sound of the floo activating, indicating that Ginny had arrived for their "girl day". Fleur and Luna would also be arriving so they could be choose hairstyles for the wedding that was taking place in a months time. Molly was excited about the activity and had already drug out at least ten magazines that she had from Ginny's wedding. Arthur, Ron, and Fred just eyed the magazines and shook their heads, inwardly thanking Merlin that they would be at work for the whole day. Glancing sideways at Ron, Hermione noticed that he looked nervous, but as he was still not speaking to her or Fred, she didn't bring up the reason for his discomfort.

Molly cleared the plates away from Ron, Arthur and Fred's places, leaving them free to gather their cloaks. Fred leaned down to give Hermione a lingering kiss and whisper an 'I love you' in her ear while Arthur was doing the same thing to Molly. Fred had flooed away as Arthur was kissing Hermione on the cheek before he and Ron apparated away. Hermione and Molly worked in companionable silence, washing the dishes and wiping off the table.

The floo activated and Ginny appeared with red eyes and a runny nose. She flung herself into Hermione's arms, before she started sobbing. Hermione clutched the girl tighter, brushing back the sea of red that seemed to be sticking to her face. Molly looked on with worried eyes. After pulling Ginny's head out of her shoulder, Hermione was able to get words out of Ginny rather than smothered sobs.

"Gin, what the bloody hell is wrong with you? You never cry. What's going on?" Ginny tried to get herself under control before answering.

"Harry and Ron are going on their first mission with all the best aurors today. Harry told me about it and it's a trap. He thinks it is too but he can't do anything about it." Hermione felt her blood run cold.

"You're serious? Why does he think it's a trap? Ron seemed nervous at breakfast but he didn't say anything." Molly had started wringing her hands but kept silent. Ginny kept her grip on Hermione and took a deep breath.

"I'm sure that Ron just didn't want to worry anybody. Ron's actually the reason that Harry believes it's a trap. Ron has the strategic brain, Hermione, you know that. Nobody can beat that man at chess. The mission is calling for the best aurors plus Harry and Ron to break into Nott Mansion, where supposedly a whole horde of escaped Death Eaters have been hiding out. They are leaving no aurors at home for this, no backups in case something goes wrong. It screams trap. For some reason, I don't think it has anything to do with wanting the aurors, they want Harry and Ron." Molly and Ginny could see the mind of Hermione working. Finally, Hermione looked at Ginny.

"Are you supposed to know any of this, Ginny?" Ginny shook her head.

"Of course not. You know that all missions are top secret. That's probably why Ron didn't say anything." Hermione nodded her head slowly.

"Alright. For now we say nothing because we can't without getting Harry in big trouble. But if things go wrong, they won't have anybody to call on. They're going to come to us because we're the Order of the Phoenix. You can better believe that they will regret it. For now, lets look for some hair styles for my wedding and try to forget this whole disaster." Ginny and Molly both gave small smiles and gave her a hug. After Ginny had dashed her cheeks with cold water to hide the tear tracks, Fleur and Luna appeared.

Molly sent out owls to the rest of the family inviting them to a family dinner since it was Charlie's birthday (and it would be better to keep the family together if they needed to pull together for other reasons). Everyone had answered back with a few hours that they would love to come for supper and couldn't wait for the wonderful food. Once the magazines that Molly had, plus the ones that Fleur had brought along were drug out, some of the excitement was forgotten. All the women were lost in a world of wedded bliss.

They had decided to move their hair party into the living room where they would be more comfortable. Hermione decided to ask Fleur, since she seemed to be the most up to date about wedding traditions.

"Do I need to get Fred a wedding gift? I know that sometimes the groom gets the wife one but I didn't want to be behind the times on that score." Fleur laughed her tinkling laugh and shook her head.

"No, 'ermione, you don't need to get 'im one. Men usually do that. Women do not. My maman always told me that we are giving them the gift of ourselves so that should be more than enough." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled.

"I like that way of looking at it. Your maman was a very smart lady." Fleur laughed again but leaned forward.

"'ave you and Fred discussed vows? Will you exchange regular ones or write your own?" Hermione looked caught off guard.

"No, we haven't discussed it. I would very much like to write our own vows but we all know that Fred has a very hard time being serious. I don't know how he'll feel about writing his own vows. I guess I'll have to talk to him about that. I need to put that on the list." Hermione gave a little chuckle to herself as she realized just how long her mental list of things to do was getting.

"So Fleur, have you decided if you want a boy or a girl yet, or what Bill has decided he wants? Or have you even talked about it?" Fleur gave a nod and a small smile. She seemed to realize that there was tension in the house and was doing her part in trying to relieve it.

"I would love to 'ave either a boy or a girl, of course. I think that Bill would love a little girl since there were so many boys growing up, but 'e 'as not said. 'owever, with my veela 'eritage, it would be easier if our children were all female. Our children will be one-eighth veela, and if it would be male, their life would be somewhat more difficult at the coming of age. I won't go into details right now, I will of course if we have a boy, but 'aving a girl would just be a lot easier on the child. But regardless, I will be 'appy with whatever I 'ave." Hermione gave her a smile and squeezed her hand.

"Well, whatever you have and whatever problems the child will face, you have a whole family behind you. I know we aren't all veelas like you, but you have all the support you could dream of." Fleur's eyes watered for a moment before she whispered a soft thank you.

Molly had just decided on a soft french twist with tendrils framing her face. Fleur openly complimented it, making Molly blush slightly. Luna had decided long ago on a side fish tail plait that would compliment her heart shaped face. She politely told Fleur that she would once again be doing her own hair and makeup. Ginny was too wound up to decide so she ended up letting Fleur choose for her, an intricate updo that somehow looked like an upside down french braid with intricate braids that all met in the middle. Hermione couldn't choose between two different styles so she left the final decision up to Fleur since she would be the one doing it. Fleur spent a long time trying to decide which would look better with the dress that she had chosen but in the end chose an upswept do that made her look sophisticated. It left tendrils that tickled her neck and a few in the front that framed her face so she didnt' look to stuck-up. After Fleur explained her choice, Hermione couldn't have been happier with her choice.

The women discussed makeup for a time but decided that they should start working on supper before too long. Ginny had been almost silent all day, the tension about ready to break her. Luna and Fleur had noticed, surely, but had not asked or brought attention to the matter. While Hermione, Luna, and Fleur helped Molly cook (Neville was joining them for supper as well), Ginny sat and sipped cold tea. In the empty cold December air, their was the faint crack of apparition. It caught everyone's attention but Ginny's. Hermione went to the window and when she saw who it was that approached she gave Molly a look.

"Turn everything off. I don't think we're going to be eating soon." Molly moved to the stove and the other three women's eyes moved to Hermione as she moved to answer the door. As she opened the door, Kingsley Shacklebolt walked into the room. Ginny flew to her feet and Molly started twisting the tea towel that was in her hands. Kingsley gestured for them all to have a seat before he started to speak. His deep baritone seemed to reverberate through the house.

"I want you all to know how sorry I am that we're calling on you again. We fucked up. We had a big lead. We sent all our big aurors, plus Harry and Ron, in on a raid to capture the biggest amount of Death Eaters that we've seen since the Battle. We thought Travers was even going to be there. It was a trap and we were ambushed. All our guys are now being held captive in there. We don't know what kind of condition at all. I need a favor." Hermione answered before he asked.

"Of course we'll fight." Kingsley shook his head.

"I wish that was the favor. These sick fucks have requested that 'Potter's Mudblood and Potter's Bloodtraitor Wife' exchange themselves for all my men. Except Potter and Weasley themselves, of course." Hermione stood up and started pacing. Everyone in the room began watching her steps. Kingsley started to speak again.

"Hermione, I just-" Hermione said nothing, just held up her hand and continued pacing.

All of a sudden, she stopped in the middle of the room and waved her wand.

'Expecto Patronum'

She bent over and whispered a message to the gamboling otter. It swam away after she uttered the message and stood back up. After it swam a short distance, it seemed to swim in dozens of directions. Hermione turned back to the table and the people that were anxiously waiting for her reaction.

"Ginny and I will help you, Kingsley. However, you have been relieved of duty in this mission and we will be using absolutely no help from the Ministry. Our troops will arrive shortly and you will all receive your orders forthwith. Ginny, come with me outside. We need to speak immediately."

Ginny stood and followed Hermione outside into the cold December air.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ok, guys, I know that this is a total cliffhanger! Don't hate me too much for it, but you know I very rarely give these to you, haha! And since I update so often its not like you'll have to wait long! Hopefully you can fingure out what's going to happen (((: Let me know what you think! Later guys!


	45. Chapter 45

A/N- Ok, sooo, how much do y'all hate me? Haha! I haven't done that to ya since they were all captured by Rodolphus Lestrange! It was bout time I tortured you just a bit, come on, you know it's true (: So, would you guys turn yourselves over to a horde of Death Eaters for your friends/husband? Wonder what Hermione's plan is and who she is gonna put in charge since she's going to be the bait? Oooh I love surprises! Anyways, hope you're enjoying the story as much I'm enjoying writing it! Well, I'm gonna shut up now and keep going onward. Sure you'd rather hear the story that my awkward ramblings, haha!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I wish I did. I really wish I owned it. Alas, only JKR does...lucky bitch.

Chapter 45 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Late December 12, 1998

"Is everyone clear on the plan?" Hermione eyed the large group of people as they nodded yes. Kingsley stepped forward.

"I know that I'm not in charge of this mission but I have just one piece of advice. At the Battle of Hogwarts, those Death Eaters weren't always trying to kill. Voldemort wanted followers. These Death Eaters don't care. If you think for a split second that they will kill you, take the kill shot. These wizards have nothing to lose. You do. If you all lose, think of everyone else who will lose along with you." Hermione nodded.

"I don't agree with killing at all, but if you all go to stun and they kill, Ginny and I will be stuck in there. So will Harry and Ron. Remember, they have nothing to lose. You've all been split up and you know who your team leaders are. Absolutely important, nobody moves or is seen until the last hostage is out."

The room split into two groups, one with Arthur Weasley and the other with Minerva McGonagall. Hermione had insisted that Kingsley would be delivering herself and Ginny to Nott mansion, as the Minister of Magic himself. Arthur Weasley and Charlie Weasley would be taking the aurors that were thrown out of the doors of the mansion to safety and medical help, which Madam Pomfrey, Fleur and Christine would be in charge of. All would appear to be quiet after the aurors would be rescued.

Hermione had sent her patronus to everyone that had participated in Dumbledore's Army and all the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix. They had all answered her call without fail, regardless of the danger that it entailed. Even Professor Slughorn had came. Hermione had taken authority away from Kingsley not because she didn't trust him, but because he had made a foolish move by sending all the aurors at once. Ginny, in fact, was in complete agreeance with her plan. She had actually been scared that she wouldn't go to save Harry and Ron because of the argument with Ron.

The whole army that had shown up for this rescue mission had let Hermione take charge, knowing full well that it was plan. They knew that she and Ginny were sacrificing themselves for an unknown amount of aurors and it was up to them to get the four of them out (if everything went according to plan). Dumbledore's Army was fully aware that there would be torture involved, especially for Hermione. Nobody brought up the subject. Madam Pomfrey had taken her aside with Fred, moments before time to leave, and had asked her if she wanted pain potion to take as she walked through the door to lessen the effects of the torture. Pain shot through Fred's eyes at the thought of it, but Hermione had simply taken the older mediwitch in her arms, thanked her, and told her no, that she would want her wits about her, but feel free to offer some to Ginny. Hermione had whispered in Ginny's ear to take some, Harry would be more likely to keep his head about him if she was in less pain. Ginny had scoffed slightly but had pocketed a vial. Fred came up behind Hermione now, with tears in his eyes.

"What if they kill you before we get to you? What will happen to me? I have to be with you." Hermione threaded her hands through his hair, pulling him close for a kiss that said everything that she couldn't.

"Why do you worry about things that won't happen? You didn't even know I was being tortured last time and I lived for you. I know you're going to come save me this time. They couldn't kill me if they tried. I know that you, Charlie, Bill, George, Minerva, Ernie, and Neville wouldn't let anything stop you. You will get to me. Just remember what Kingsley said. If you think for a second that they are going to kill, you kill. Because I can't live without you." Fred pulled her face into his, tasting her mouth one last time.

"If they hurt you at all, there won't be stunning at all. You're my heart. Just be strong, love. We will be there. I love you, Mia." She smiled at him.

"You be strong and don't lose your head. I love you, Freddie." She let go of his hair and walked away with Ginny and Kingsley, the dresses that she had insisted that they wear fluttering in the wind.

The walk up to Nott Mansion was a cold one. She and Ginny were both shivering violently from the wind. Kingsley apologized but Hermione reminded him that it was all part of the plan. Charlie and Arthur followed closely behind to apparate the aurors out once they were released. A few meters from the front door, Ginny took her pain potion and Kingsley bound their hands, making Hermione feel helpless again.

When Kingsley knocked on the door, a small house elf opened the enormous door. He was quickly shoved out of the way by a tall weedy man whom Hermione could only assume was Nott Sr. himself. Kingsley spoke immediately.

"I brought Potter's wife and mudblood like you said. I want all my aurors like you agreed. I brought two Weasleys to help apparate them out." The man nodded.

"Fine, fine. I'll have all your men brought up, save Potter and Weasley. There were ten, correct?" Kingsley nodded.

Hermione and Ginny stood in the freezing cold for ten minutes longer while a number of smelly men carried injured and tortured men up the stairs from what she assumed was the dungeons and threw them unceremoniously on the ground. Arthur and Charlie took turns apparating them a few miles out to where Madam Pomfrey, Christine, and Fleur were waiting for them. After the last man was brought up, Nott grabbed hold of the wrist restraints on Hermione and Ginny and yanked them into the house.

"Thanks for these lovely ladies, boys. We'll be having a really good time with 'em the rest of the night. The mudblood especially has such fair skin for having such muddy blood. When we kill 'em all, we'll send you a message on where you can find their bodies." He shoved the door shut with a slam and left Kingsley and the two Weasley men alone in the cold.

Calming their pounding hearts, Charlie and Arthur walked three feet in the opposite direction of each other and took a knife out of their pocket. Both made cuts into their hands, dribbling the blood around the house as they walked around the perimeter. When they met each other at the back of the house, they grasped bloody hands, murmured an incantation and then disapparated back to where the camp was set up. Bill, Fred, and George were waiting on the edge of camp for them. Arthur spoke first.

"It's done. We'll be able to get in as long as there are Weasleys with them." Bill nodded and waved his wand and his father and brothers hands, effectively healing them. Fred shot them a look.

"What did they say when they took them?" Charlie shot Arthur a look.

"Nothing, bro." Fred gave him a dark look.

"You're lying to me. How about trying on the truth?" Charlie shook his head.

"We're not going to tell you. We need your head clear. I'm sure that you can imagine along the lines of what it was. You know that it's the love of your life in there as well as your sister and two of your brothers. Just know that you have more than enough of a reason to keep your head on and get everyone the fuck out of there." Arthur was nodding his head.

"I agree, son. The technicalities aren't important. They're all my children and I love them all. Let's just work together and get everyone back safe." Fred and George nodded and walked off in to the darkness. Bill looked at Charlie.

"Now tell me what was said." Charlie looked at the ground before repeating what Nott had said. Bill sighed.

"You were right not to tell him. He would have lost it, George maybe too. If she gets raped, Ginny too, it was to save lives. But none of that is going to happen because we're going to get there in time." Charlie nodded.

"Let's go get ready. It's on us, Dad's not going. He and Percy are on diversion, remember?" Throwing arms around each others shoulders, they headed off into the darkness after Fred and George.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ginny were being beaten. Harry and Ron were magically bound to a wall in a large drawing room, being made to watch. Fifteen Death Eaters were in the room, none that Hermione recognized, all laughing as the two women were passed around to be smacked, kicked, or punched. Once, when Hermione had landed next to Harry, she had hurriedly whispered to him that Ginny had already taken pain potion and he had looked relieved for a moment but she couldn't be sure through her already swollen eye. Hermione knew that Arthur and Charlie had to be done with the blood charm by now and the aurors had to removed and treated so the diversion would be happening soon. She and Ginny just had to continue to be strong just a little while stronger and they would be rescued. Hermione had complete faith in Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Neville, Ernie, and McGonagall.

The emotional taunts were starting now with the beatings. It seemed that Ron had spilled about Hermione's parents being murdered and that Harry would be walking her down the aisle. That she considered him a brother. As if the bastards needed more ammunition against the two of them. Ron had told them that she had been a virgin before Fred, making them all eager to try her out sexually. Hermione could see Harry screaming but whatever silencing spell they had used on him was very effective. Ron had tears pouring down his cheeks. Ginny was almost comatose from the pain potion, not even fully aware what was going on. She was black and blue from the beatings, but would just merely whimper when they hit her.

Eventually, the evil men turned their wands on the two women. Hermione still refused to scream, which simply illicited in having her dress ripped of her body in shreds. One of the older men apparently like the idea and reciprocated the idea on Ginny, leaving her in a black lacy bra and panty set. Ginny seemed to wake up just a little bit after this, fighting her nakedness. Harry and Ron both struggled against their bonds, their wrists bleeding. Hermione felt her bra be torn off her body, exposed to all these evil men. She began to fight against them, regardless of the cruciatus curse that they were hitting her with. Her tiny fists were doing them no damage, but were annoying no doubt. Then the moment she was waiting for happened.

Nott himself had himself pinned on top of her, trying to wedge himself between her legs, but with her fists hitting his head and his face being caught with her teeth, he knew that he needed to restrain her. He drew his wand and released the magical bonds that held her before, intending to bond her above her head. Faster than he could wave his wand, she slipped her hand down between her legs to the invisible wand holder strapped next to her crotch and whipped out her wand. A non-verbal killing spell let loose her wand before she even had time to think about the next move that she would make. Once she pushed Nott's body off of her, she rushed over to Ginny and released her bond.

As Ginny began fumbling for her wand, the rest of the Death Eaters fell in on the two naked girls. Hermione was furious and dueled with all the fury that was pent up inside her. Once Ginny had her wand free, she went to Harry and Ron and freed them, though they had no wands. They doors were thrown open, led by Bill and Charlie, then Fred and George, Neville, Ernie and then McGonagall. They all seemed to stutter to a momentary stop when they saw Hermione duelling with a ferocity that equalled ten men in nothing but red lacy underwear. Hermione wasn't even shouting spells anymore, she was simply using them nonverbally.

Once the Death Eaters were all on the ground, spells had stopped colliding off the walls, Hermione allowed herself a look around. Only three of the Death Eaters had given up and surrendered their wands, the rest were dead. Charlie unbuttoned his shirt as she surveyed the damage, looking for dead on their own side. As Fred approached her, Charlie handed his shirt to him. Fred wrapped the shirt around her shoulders. She knew that her shoulder was dislocated so she couldn't put it on, but she was grateful to be free of the prying eyes. Bill had given up his shirt for Ginny as well since Harry's shirt wasn't in very good condition anyways. Hermione felt herself lean into Fred and then George for a little bit of comfort, but then snapped back in to business.

"We need to check the rest of the house. By Merlin, I'll be double damned if this happens again. I want every last Death Eater bound and sent with Kingsley or or killed if they won't surrender. If you can't kill him, call me. I damn sure can." McGonagall stepped into her line of sight.

"Might I suggest, Miss Granger, that you trust me with this task? I have no problems with it, like yourself. I'm very proud of you for what you've endured. May I suggest that you go with the rest of the Weasley's and see Poppy? I know that that shoulder must indeed be painful and you have endured the cruciatus curse once again. No offense, but your face could use some healing as well." Hermione gave her a small smile.

"Of course, I trust you Professor. Thank you for showing up when you did. I did desperately need your help." McGonagall laughed.

"Now that, I doubt. You had things well under control. You even had the wonderful idea of the Weasley blood ward. Now off with you." She shooed the Weasleys away, as well as Hermione. The group began to apparate to the medics but Ron came forward.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry I told them all that stuff about you. They were torturing me and Harry for information on you. What would hurt you the most. Harry never cracked but I did. I'm so sorry. I just want you to know that I'm sorry I'm such a terrible friend." Hermione nodded her head.

"It doesn't matter now. It's over and done with. Let's just go see Madam Pomfry."

The group apparated, letting Bill take the lead. Molly and Arthur were ecstatic to see them all safe. Fred had to remind Molly that she couldn't hug Hermione like usual until she saw Madam Pomfrey. Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry all visited the mediwitch and had extensive healing done, the most on Hermione. Harry was apologetic once again, but thanked Hermione and the mediwitch for giving Ginny the pain potion.

Hermione knew that there would be much more to answer to, many more questions to ask, and many more hugs and thank yous to give out to those who came to help out, but right now, all she wanted was to curl up in Fred's arms in Charlie's shirt and go to sleep. As if he read her mind, Fred showed up at her tent, pulled her head down on his arm, whispered something in her ear that she didn't quite catch, and she let sleep pull her under.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Wheewwww! Ok, there ya have it, folks! Apparently, ya don't piss off Hermione! Haha, guess we already knew that! So, let me know what ya think, as always (: Thanks! 


	46. Chapter 46

A/N- Ok, since I got a few (and then a few more) PMs asking me exactly what happened to get the quartet out, I'll explain here. Much, much easier than answering every single person. I did take some liberties with the story, but this is fanfiction. Who doesn't? I am very aware that Nott probably had wards up against apparition and trespassers, most wizarding families do. When Charlie and Arthur took the aurors out, I was taking liberties and assuming that he lifted them. I also took liberties with the fact that Hermione is a freaking genius and that Nott was holding a Weasley (Ron) and would be holding another Weasley (Ginny) captive and used my own version of a blood charm. When Arthur and Charlie cut their hands and dribbled their blood (Weasley blood for the rude people that acted like I was a complete idiot and didn't think anything through) in a complete circle around the house, it formed a sort of protective barrier. The Weasley's split into two groups, Arthur and Percy to cause a diversion, because they could apparate people inside the circle of Weasley blood as long as there were Weasleys inside that were in danger. The rest of the Weasleys of course were able to apparate inside the house because it was inside the circle. I know that this wasn't explained and it should have been. For that, I am sorry. Hope you all will forgive me! Maybe when I get the whole fic finished, I will rewrite the chapter (: Anyways, I have taken up enough time on this long ass note...onward!

Disclaimer: The usual...I don't own anything, I only wish I did. I do, however, own Christine Smith. Weasley now. Haha.

Chapter 46 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 24, 1998

It had been almost two weeks since the debacle at the Nott Mansion and it had been complete madness since. Hermione had only slept for a few hours before the reporters for the Daily Prophet had shown up. How they had gotten wind of the story, Kingsley never did find out. However, upon finding the whole of the Weasley family, Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore's Army there, the story wasn't able to be kept quiet like they had all planned. Kingsley had a quick meeting with the key members that had been present, asking to be able to let their name free to the papers. Reluctantly, most had agreed. Kingsley and the Ministry had taken the biggest hit. When given the barest information, the Daily Prophet's headline the next day read:

Auror Department Inducts Both Golden Boys Just to Kill Them Off-Another Political Conspiracy?

Hermione knew then that there was going to have to be an intervention or all the trust that they had gained from the public would be lost.

At her insistence, Kingsley had called a press conference that he, the Head of the Auror Department, she Harry and Ron, the entire Weasley family, Neville, Luna, and Professor McGonagall had attended. All the newspapers were there, not just the Prophet, and the entire story was told. There were small details withheld, of course, like how they were able to get past the wards of the Nott Mansion, how close Hermione and Ginny came to rape, who took which lives. The blame was laid on inexperience of a still struggling government after recovering from much corruptness and the thirst for revenge on the Death Eaters still at large. By the end of the conference, the public that had shown up were thanking Kingsley and the Head of the Department for their efforts and telling them that they just knew how far the wizarding world would go under their direction.

However, this strategic move was counterproductive for Hermione and Ginny, as well as the rest of the Weasleys, Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore's Army. They were once again considered heroes. It was made clear that Hermione and Ginny had given themselves over to the Death Eaters to save the rest of the aurors lives, effectively meaning that they were sending themselves to a sure death. Since they had decided not to reveal the blood charm, there was no other route for them except to accept the heaps of praise. The rest of the participants weren't short of admirers either. Even with the marriage law, all members of the Dumbledore's Army were receiving 'love' mail. Hermione learned from her fourth year to just throw all her mail in the fireplace, but Fred found many love letters. He even laughed at Hermione when she got jealous of the naked picture that some random witch sent him and she threw it in the fire, and then tried to hex him.

Business had been out of control at the shop since the Nott Mansion and Fred and George had had to hire two extra people to help get them through the holidays. She was still stuck on the register so she could help keep an eye on things out front while they worked on product developement. Sometimes Ginny would come in and help her out, saying that she was bored with sitting at home worrying about Harry. Christine had started coming in also, some days, for a few hours here and there, Hermione thought just to piss off her parents and their image. Charlie was good for her. Andie had come to the Burrow the day before with Teddy to stay through the New Year, and Hermione couldn't be more excited. She was looking forward to some baby time.

Now that it was the holidays, officially, the whole family was gathered round the table, snacking on the food that Molly and everyone else has helped make. Christmas Eve had been made perfect this year because it'd started snowing. Not the light, dry kind of snow, but the heavy wet kind of snow that was perfect for snow ball fights. Hermione was laughing at Harry telling Teddy that he's going to teach him how to make the perfect snow fort tomorrow, knowing full well that Teddy will never remember.

Hermione looks over and sees Ron snogging Lavender under the mistletoe. Lavender still isn't speaking to her, but Ron has put everything aside after the Nott Mansion. She was aware that he cracked and gave everything about her to the Death Eaters, which makes her sad when she thinks about it. Harry told her she shouldn't hold it against him, but she doesn't know how to feel about it. Fred does, completely. He can't believe that he would spill everything about his best friend under torture. Hermione, however, is just glad that there isn''t anymore animosity at the moment.

She settles by the fire, patiently waiting for turn with Teddy. Hermione's a little surprised when Christine and Charlie sit on each side of her, both with smiles on their face. Charlie hands her a bottle of firewhiskey on the sly.

"Keep it hidden, Mum doesn't know yet. Then pass it down." Hermione gives a smirk and then takes a long draw and passes it to Christine. She leans forward.

"All you have to do is get out the muggle liquor. She loves that stuff. Hey, where's Ginny? Let's get her drunk too!" Charlie laughed.

"Good thing I brought a lot of it." Hermione took another draw.

"Fred has some too. I'll go raid his and George's stash." Charlie grimaced.

"Merlin, then they're going to want to drink it with us! We're going to have to be sly." Hermione giggled. Christine hiccuped before she stood.

"I'll go get Ginny. I bet she has some." Christine stumbled as she walked through the living room to find Ginny. Hermione stifled a giggle.

"You need to teach her to walk better drunk, Charlie. She's going to get us caught!" Charlie laughed.

"You're going to get us caught by giggling like a schoolgirl. Heroes don't giggle. And how do you propose I teach her to walk better drunk? I can't walk like a girl. You guys shake your hips and such." Hermione couldn't help but giggle louder.

Christine started back in their direction with Ginny on her tail. They both plopped down in front of Hermione and Charlie.

"Hey, Ginny, did you know that heroes don't giggle?" Ginny started to giggle herself. Charlie started laughing himself before putting his hand over Ginny's mouth.

"Do you or Harry have any firewhiskey?" She squinted her eyes as if in thought.

"We have a bottle and about half a bottle of vodka. Good thing I thought ahead and brought it, huh?" She snatched the bottle out of Charlie's hand and took a long swig.

"You're such a brat, Ginny." She gave him a wide smile.

They passed the bottle around in companionable silence for awhile until Molly stuck her head in the door.

"Hey, everyone come in here. George says that he has something he needs to tell everyone."

Cursing under their breaths about having to hide their bottles, they alll helped each other up and tried not to stumble into the kitchen. Bill instantly gave them a look that he knew what they had been doing but continued to rub Fleur's belly, who happened to be sitting on his lap. Fred came up behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned around and smiled at him. When he glanced down at her, a different look flitted across his eyes but before she could question it, it was gone. He leaned down and whispered to her.

"Are you getting drunk with my bad influence of a brother?" She couldn't help but giggle. After turning to face him, she gave him a kiss. George cleared his throat. She turned back around.

"We just wanted to give you all a Christmas surprise and tell you that Angie's pregnant. She's due round the middle of August and we couldn't be happier." Everyone started congratulating George and Angelina, asking where the firewhiskey was. Charlie leaned over Fred's shoulder.

"Hey, 'Mione, we don't have to hide drinking anymore." Hermione couldn't help but giggling again.

The firewhiskey was passed around the family this time, except for Fleur and Angelina. Even Andie drank some. Hermione noticed after awhile that Fred had drank a considerable amount but didn't seem to be having any fun. She decided that she was going to show him a good time.

Taking his hands, Hermione led him out the back door and into the shed that Arthur kept muggle things in. She waved her wand and cast warming charms, silencing charms, and wards. Giving him a lascivious smile, she pressed herself up against him until he was pinned against the wall. His eyes were expressive, showing he was extremely turned on. Reaching up, she jerked his head down to hers by his hair, taking possession of his mouth. He moaned and tried to take control but she didn't let him. When his arms came up to go around her, she shoved them back down into the wall. After biting his bottom lip with her teeth, he let out another moan. She soothed it with her tongue as she ran her fingers through his hair. Kissing her way along his strong jaw, she let go of his hair and worked at the buckle of his pants. Once she was working them down, she nipped at his nipple through his shirt.

When his pants were to his knees, she took him in her mouth, all at once, as far as she could. He doubled over at the unexpected feeling and gasped. Her tongue massaged his length as she worked up and down, hands lightly working his balls. She felt his hands bury themselves in her curls, pushing on her slightly, not enough to choke her, just guiding. One free hand pumped on the length that wouldn't fit in her throat, the other continued to knead his balls. She could hear him moaning her name, meaning that he was close. His cock was stiffening. She felt his hot seed, rather than tasted it, he was so deep in her throat. He quivered when she removed him from her mouth, which gave her a feeling of pride. She cast a cleansing charm on him without him knowing and a charm on herself before she stood. By the time she was off her knees, he seemed able to function enough to pull his own pants up and fasten them himself.

Fred took her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you, Mia?" She smiled and nodded. "What did I do to deserve that?" She shrugged.

"You just didn't look like you were having any fun. I'm getting drunk with your sister, brother, and his wife.I think that you're upset your twin is having a baby instead of you so you're down in the dumps. So I just tried to make your night better. Sorry if I was too pushy." He smiled at her.

"You know me way too well, Mia. I don't care if you get drunk with Charlie and Ginny. It's funny. Especially since Charlie told you that heroes don't giggle. That's all you and Ginny have done. I'm not upset that George is having a baby though. I'm happy for him, I am. I'm just insanely jealous. I want a baby with you so bad. It's not normal, I know. At my age, I shouldn't want a baby. It's this damn bond magic wanting us to reproduce. But I can't help it." Hermione laid a hand on the side of his face.

"Freddie, I've taken my last potion. It will be ineffective on the tenth of January, three days before our wedding. Any day from then on, we can get pregnant. You just have to be patient a little while longer. You said you wouldn't make me do anything I didn't want to do when we first got together. I really don't want to get pregnant before I'm married." Fred took her hand and kissed her palm.

"Of course I can wait. I'm just whining. Lets go back in before we're missed and have some fun. I promise I'll be more fun this time since you effectively cheered me up."

Hermione started to giggle once more as Fred threw her over his shoulder and began to laugh as he raced back into the house to try to celebrate the holidays the right way.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Sorry for such a short chapter, but I gave you a pregnancy! And smut! That counts for something, right? Anyways, give me your thoughts as always (: Love you guys!

P.S. I'm finally getting surgery tomorrow, yay! I will try to post another chapter on Friday, but if I'm too drugged up to get it done, please don't hate on me! I'll try to get one up as soon as I'm able...maybe over the weekend? Who knows, maybe I'll come out with flying colors and be able to post Friday. We can all hope! Anyways, have patience with my doped up self! Thanks guys! 


	47. Chapter 47

A/N- Not far from the wedding, guys! After this chapter, there are only three more chapters before the wedding chapter...I think! Unless I add something in, haha, which I have been known to do. I'm getting super excited! Please excuse me if this Christmas chapter sucks, because lets face it, its friggin' hard to write Christmas when it's almost ninety degrees outside! Hopefully you guys can muddle through, haha! Anyways, we're going to get this party started (: Hope you enjoy...

Disclaimer: I own Christine Weasley and I suppose her family, horrible as they are. That's it. I wish I owned more, but I'm nowhere near that talented!

Chapter 47 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 25, 1998 Christmas Day

Hermione woke to the sound of pounding on the door. She groaned as she buried her face deeper in Fred's chest. His arms tightened around her.

"Go away, Ginny, I know it's you!" There was laughter outside the door but it didn't sound like Ginny. She heard a whispered spell and she instantly regretted not using a more difficult locking spell with the whole family home. Fred's eyes flew open and he whispered to Hermione.

"No matter what, stay under the covers." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm not getting out, I'm naked."

All of a sudden, George burst through door wearing nothing but a pair of bright red pajama pants and a wide grin. He jumped on the bed over both Fred and Hermione and began bouncing, causing Hermione to try to reach for her wand without falling out from under the blankets. The whole while George was calling out in a singsong voice.

"Ha ha I win, Ha ha I win! You know what you have to do!" Fred groaned as Hermione started to curse. "George Fabian Weasley, you're bloody lucky I'm naked and can't reach my wand! Get out of my room! You can gloat to your brother about whatever it is you won whenever I'm dressed." George gave a short yelp, something akin to fear, leapt off the bed, and sauntered proudly out of the room.

Hermione lay in the silence for a moment before she sat up.

"Well, now that there is absolutely no chance of going back to sleep shall we get up and get dressed and see what in the bloody hell it is he thinks he won?" Fred laughed.

"Oh, I know what it is he won. He woke up first. We've had a contest of who wakes up first since we were seven. Whoever wakes up first jumps on the others bed, effectively waking them up. The loser has to pay a penalty named by the loser from the year before. He was the loser last year and set the penalty." Hermione sighed.

"It sounds like you two had a lot more fun on Christmas than Harry and I did. What's the penalty you have to pay?" He was quiet for a moment.

"First tell me what you and Harry did." She got a faraway smile on her face.

"Ron had left us and Harry wanted to go see his parents graves at Godric's Hollow. We saw Bathilda Bagshot there and we followed her back to her house, thinking she might have Gryffindor's Sword or a horcrux. Harry had went with her while I had stayed behind, another one of his ideas that didn't pan out. Voldemort's snake, Nagini, was hidden inside Bathilda's body and she attacked while calling Voldemort to her. We barely escaped. Harry was injured and I spent the day caring for him. When he woke, I remember he was so angry at me because I had broke his wand as we disapparated. Not on purpose, of course, but because a curse I had cast rebounded. He didn't speak to me for the rest of the night." Fred gave her a slight smile and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Yeah, I'd say that my Christmas was a little bit better than yours and Harry's. No evil snakes for me. I have to jump into a snow drift naked. But since I'm the loser this year, I get to choose the penalty for next year and hope to Merlin I wake up first next year." Hermione let out a laugh.

"Only you two, I swear! In front of everyone?" He nodded. "Well, it should be an interesting show. That cold snow won't do you any justice." He let out a loud laugh.

They started dressing for the day, knowing that the rest of the family would be up by now and ready for everyone to come down and open presents. Hermione was excited to see if everyone liked what she had gotten them. There were a couple people that she wasn't entirely sure on. Fred hadn't had the time to shop that she had so she had made some of the gifts from the two of them. He had appreciated it in the long run, but felt bad that he had been so busy he hadn't had the time for his family. When they reached the kitchen, George had spread the word to everyone that Fred had lost the game this year and would be showcasing his twig and berries later and burying himself in the snow. Hermione had to give it to him, he didn't get embarrassed in the slightest. She would have been beet red if it had been her.

Arthur started passing out the gifts. The pile under the tree was quite impressive, however, Teddy by far had the largest. Andie and Ginny helped him open his. He seemed to love his train set that Hermione and Fred had gotten him that changed color, but also loved the rattle that changed to different animals from Molly and Arthur. Once Teddy was finished and was chewing on his paper, everyone else dug into their gifts. Hermione received an array of gifts. A book on healing spells from Christine, clothes from Ginny and Fleur, decor items for her house from Molly and Angelina, cookbook from Lavender, chocolate from Ron and Harry, charm-your-house kit from Bill, firewhiskey from Charlie, Wonder Witch products from George. Fred had made her promise to open his last, which made her nervous. She had gotten butterbeer cap earrings from Luna, a Herbology book from Neville, and a box of chocolates from Ernie. Hermione hadn't sent Ernie anything but she would make sure to send him a note thanking him after the holidays. Finally, all that was left was Fred's gift.

She regarded the little box and felt that she was sure it was jewelery. He was going to spoil her if he wasn't careful. Fred had wrapped it in red paper and put silver ribbon around it, almost Gryffindor colors. Hermione untied the the ribbon, seeing that Fred was watching her through the corner of her eye. Once unwrapped, she opened the ring box and revealed a gold band with a dainty lions head with a ruby eye on it. She pulled it out of the case and realized that it had been inscribed.

'My Brave Lioness, Love Fred'

"Freddie, I love this! I don't know where you found this but it's amazing!" She launched herself into his arms after fitting it onto her finger. He laughed.

"Well, your admirer at the jewelery store helped me out with it when I told him it was for the Gryffindor Princess who helped his sister. I finally got the story of what happened out of him but I still want your side someday." She laughed.

"Anytime you want, Freddie. Open yours." He took the package with her name on it and started to rip into the paper. Once it was just the box, he tore it open. After the watch was open and he saw the inscription, he pulled her in for a deep kiss.

"I love this, Mia. It's perfect. I'll carry it everyday." Before she could say anything, Molly had flung herself through the crowd of people and into Hermione arms.

"Hermione, I love this ring. Arthur said this is called a mother's ring? Can you explain it?" Fred stepped back out of the way to make room for his mother and so those around could hear her explanation.

"Well, in the muggle world, women get rings to signify the birth of their children. Each month has a stone to represent it. You start on this end, with the topaz, is Bill for November, this is Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. All seven stones stand for each of your children, their color of stone corresponding with their birth month." Molly seemed amazed.

"Hermione, that's such an amazing idea. I can't believe that wizards haven't come up with something like that. Thank you so much." She patted the older woman on the shoulder.

Since everyone was busy thanking everyone else for their gifts, Hermione decided to start putting hers away and beat the rush. She had already heard whispers between Fred and George of starting a snowball war.

Once tea and toast were out of the way, the Weasleys, minus Fleur, began bundling up for an outside excursion. Hermione knew that she would freeze, she always did. Fred simply didn't bother. He carried all his clothes outside and dropped them on the porch. We could all hear Molly telling Andie not to mind her children. Fred stripped off the rest of his clothing in a flash and with a streak of white, was running to the nearest snow bank. Something that Hermione could only describe as a screech was emitted as he disappeared into the white hump. Then there was a...

"George, you prick, this is fucking cold!" Hermione had a flash of an idea.

"Hurry, guys, before he gets up! Let's go bury him!" George, Ron, Charlie, Bill and Harry all took off first, having the longest legs and got to Fred before he could get out of the snow drift. Hermione, Christine, Ginny, Angelina, and Lavender followed behind, determined to help.

It turned into a huge wrestling match, between the boys mostly, although Ginny got her licks in as well. Finally, Christine called a time out so she could extract Ginny from the middle of the match before she got really hurt and Fred held up his arms in surrender.

"Who the hell decided to fucking bury me? The deal was I get naked in a snow drift, not get buried!" George proudly pointed at Hermione.

"That would be your dearly beloved right there. It was all her idea. She just had us strong men do her dirty work, I see." Hermione took the defensive. She put her hands on her hips.

"How dare you, George! Don't you blame me, just because you don't want your brother to kick your arse! You know it was your idea. Fred, ask the rest of them. They'll tell you the truth!" Fred gave George a dirty look and then eyed the rest of his siblings. They all had wide eyes. Christine was the first to speak.

"It was George. I was right next to him when he said it."

Bill nodded.  
Charlie nodded. Harry and Ron nodded. Ginny and Angelina nodded.  
Percy and Penny nodded.  
Even Lavender nodded.

Naked as the day he was born, Fred reached out and hit George in the back of his knees, effectively knocking him on his back and they started wrestling against each other in the snow. Both were soaked and panting, but neither were willing to relent and admit that the other had won. The rest of the siblings took seats in the snow to watch. Charlie snuck out a bottle of firewhiskey and passed it around.

"This is why we lied. Entertainment doesn't get any better than this. How about we start making snowballs and start throwing them at them?" The firewhiskey went around one more time before the plan was executed.

Fred and George didn't know what had hit them. Fred managed to make it over to the porch and scurry into his clothes before he was completely bombarded by bewitched snowballs sent his way by Charlie. Finally the boys and Ginny had formed some sort of teams, but Hermione wasn't entirely sure how it was they could tell who was on whos teams. They seemed to be out for everyone. Hermione, Christine, Angelina, and Lavender lined up along the shed and passed the firewhiskey among themselves (skipping Angelina, of course) and watched the boys. They were hit by stray snowballs here and there, but it was a small price to pay for cheap entertainment.

Somewhere through the snowball fight, the boys had come clean to Fred about lying to him about George and Hermione. Hermione giggled when he confronted her about finally pulling a prank on him. However, he stole her bottle of firewhiskey and tipped the bottle back, saying he needed the warmth more than she did. When he handed her the bottle back, it was empty much to her, Christine, and Lavender's chagrine.

After three or four hours of fun in the snow, the Weasley bunch called it quits and headed back into the warm house, ready for Molly's good food. The table had been enlarged, and was loaded with food made by Molly, Andie and Fleur. As they sat to eat, they all raised their glasses to toast their meal. After the official cheer was made, Fred chimed in.

"I have to make a toast to Mia. She finally pranked the prankster twins, and a good one at that! Let's hope she doesn't get it done often."

The siblings all laughed, causing the story to have to be told to those who had staying inside to cook. Another good laugh was had at the expense of Fred and George, and then another when Charlie told the story of how they all decided to start the snowball war on them when they were fighting. Everyone helped cleaned up the meal, sharing stories and laughter. After the kitchen was clean, the family moved into the living room to continue the crazy stories that were being told from childhoods.

Hermione had snuggled in between Fred's legs and into his chest, his arms wrapped snugly around her. They were seated by the fireplace and listening to Arthur tell a story about while he was at Hogwarts during Christmas time and none of the lanterns would light. Hermione could feel Fred playing with a strand of her hair, wrapping and unwrapping it around his finger. She could feel her eyes growing heavy in the warm firelight.

Fred knew when she fell asleep; her head got heavy on his chest and her breath evened out. He stayed up and listened to the stories that everyone continued to tell, laughing in the appropriate spots. Even shared a couple of his own. He had noticed that Hermione hadn't shared any of her own though. Knowing that if she hadn't spent Christmas with his family, she had spent it with hers, which was no longer an option. It had saddened him this morning to hear how she had spent the Christmas before. Everyone else had had a decent Christmas, even Ron. Ron had spent it with Bill and Fleur at Shell Cottage, with family. Hermione and Harry had almost died. Looking for a way to kill the pieces of Voldemort's soul. His fiance really was a selfless person. You would have to be to give up ten months of your life to search for ways to kill your mortal enemy and ask for nothing in return. His eyes caught on Harry using his wand and he wondered and asked before he thought.

"Harry, how are you using your wand?" Harry looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" Fred wished he had kept his mouth shut now.

"Well, I was explaining the game between me and George to Hermione this morning and she said that it sounded like we had more fun last Christmas than she and you did. I asked her what you did and she explained. She told me that she broke your wand and I just saw you use it. How is that possible? I know you didn't get another one." Harry looked a little uncomforable.

"It's a complicated story. I'll tell it, but is everyone sober? It's not a story to be repeated. It hasn't been repeated to anyone, anywhere. The only people who know are myself, Ron, and Hermione. And Dumbledore's portrait." Fred shook his head.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell us. If it's that big of a deal." Harry gave a barky laugh, kind of like Sirius.

"No, it's fine. I actually planned on telling you all. I just planned on waiting until everyone was married. I just ask that everyone take a wizards oath that this goes to your grave" Everyone took a wizards oath and Fred shook Hermione awake. Harry started the story.

"You've all heard the Tale of Three Brothers?" Everyone nodded. "And how it relates to the Deathly Hallows?" Everyone again nodded their heads. Harry laughed.

"You guys are way ahead then we were. We had no idea. My father left me an invisibility cloak through Dumbledore, which he gave to me at Christmas when I was eleven years old. I still have it. During our sixth year, Dumbledore found the ring that he destroyed and in it was the resurrection stone, He hid it in the snitch that he left me in his will. Dumbledore commanded the Elder Wand, which changed allegiance to Draco Malfoy the night that he was killed in the Astronomy Tower when he disarmed him. I then disarmed Draco at Malfoy Manor the night that Hermione was tortured. Voldemort had the Elder Wand, but it never worked him because I was it's master. I was the master of all objects, making me the master of death. That is the real reason Voldemort wasn't able to kill me in the Forbidden Forest at the Battle of Hogwarts. My mother's charm worked when I was a baby, but being the master of death saved me in May. Since I was the true master of the Elder Wand, I was able to use it to repair my old wand, even though other wands had failed to. I then replaced the Elder Wand with Dumbledore's body. When I die, the power of the wand will die with me. I dropped the resurrection stone somewhere out in the Forbidden Forest while I was talking to my parents, Sirius, and Remus. The only thing still in my power is the invisibility cloak, which is mine by birthright." Fred looked bewildered.

"Merlin, Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was such a story behind a simple question." Harry laughed.

"It's ok. I was pretty attached to my wand. It was my protection for a long time. Voldemort couldn't kill me because of it. Guess it was also my tie to Dumbledore. I didn't want to let that go." Fred buried his head in his hands and shook his head. Harry laughed again.

"Guess I never realized how much I never told anyone besides Ron and Hermione. They were pretty much my only friends. Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, gave two phoenix feathers for wand cores. One of them is in my wand. The other was in Voldemort's wand. We could wound each other, but not kill. That's why the night over Little Whinging, he used Malfoy's wand. Our wands were brothers, twins of a sort." Charlie let out a loud breath.

"On that note, I say we take a big drink for Dumbledore and the master of death and all head to bed."

The bottles were passed around and everyone started to head towards the stairs and their respective rooms. As Fred guided a heavily leaning Hermione towards her room, he smacked George on the arm.

"Next year, penalty is you have to sit through present opening naked. The whole time, no matter what. No matter Mum hits you with. No matter how she hexes you either." George gave a grin.

"I like the way you think, brother. Just keep your fiance away from the loser and we'll be good to go. I've come to the decision that she just might be worse than Mum." Fred gave him a wide smile as he turned a sleepy Hermione into her room.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Christmas is over, Harry came clean about being Master of Death...I personally had fun writing about the twins in this chapter. Like I said, I had a hard time writing Christmas when it's hot here. Sorry for no christmas tree descriptions and the like. Just didn't have it in me...Hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways! You know the drill...let me know what you thought (:

P.S. My surgery went alright...they found more damage than they thought they would, but we're about were about to fix it all. I now have two beautiful incisions and three arthroscopic holes holes gracing my knee along with the ugly scar and two arthroscopic holes already there. Pretty awesome, huh? Anyways, thanks for worryin' bout me y'all (: Til next time...


	48. Chapter 48

A/N- Alrighty, Christmas is over and the year 1998 is almost over. Can't believe it...we've just come so far, haha. This seems to be an appropriate time to once again thank everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. It truly does mean the world to me. Until you actually sit down to write these stories, people don't realize the effort that goes into them and just seeing that people are reading them, sometimes enjoying them, gives me the inspiration to continue on. Even with the difficult chapters! So thanks, guys, for being my inspiration (: Believe it or not, I'm writing this before my surgery so I'm not even on pain medication yet, haha. Hope you all enjoy this final chapter of 1998!

Disclaimer: I own Christine Weasley, that's it. JKR owns the rest of the Harry Potter universe. Wish she would share. Haha...

Chapter 48 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` December 31, 1998

Hermione was excited for the New Years Eve party at the Burrow to start. She, Molly, and Andie had been cooking for most of the day, little treats that the family would enjoy throughout the evening. It had proved to be quite a task to keep Fred, Arthur, and Ron out of them as the day passed, but the women were determined to keep their treats safe. Hermione had drug Andie to muggle London with her to get muggle liquor for the celebrations that night to give her a break from Teddy. Molly and Arthur had been more than happy to take him off her hands for the time that she would be gone.

Now that everything was prepared and most of the family was present, Hermione was ready to start having a good time. These holidays had been a good time for her. She had to admit that she had felt guilty from time to time. It was after the war, with so many lost, so many missing the holidays. Her parents were gone, never to have another Christmas with each other again. The thought made her heart ache, but she knew that if they were alive and had their memories, they would be telling her to keep moving forward, always remember them but never stop living her life. For them, and for those who weren't able to celebrate the holidays, she had let completely loose and gave in to the urge to just have fun. She knew that life would resume in a few days, but tonight was going to be another great holiday that she got to spend with her new family and she was going to make the best of it.

Charlie had started drinking as soon as he got there, but he was always able to handle more liquor than the rest of the Weasleys. He had talked Hermione into a couple of shots of firewhiskey, but she had committed the night to Ginny and Christine. They were going to drink muggle liquor again and dance. Ginny had begged Hermione to figure out a way to get a muggle CD player to work in their house, which hadn't been easy. Between the two of the girls, however, they had spent a small fortune in CDs to listen to. Christine had gone along, but hadn't chimed in much of an opinion since she knew of nothing muggle. Ginny had been eager to promise her a crash course, making Charlie laugh at the thought of his wife dancing to muggle music.

Fleur and Angelina had agreed to take care of Teddy for the evening so Andie could have some much needed time away and both would be getting practice needed for their future children. Hermione knew that Fred and George had plans of their own, but she wasn't sure what. Ginny said that Harry and Ron had plans as well, Christine chiming in that Charlie was planning on drinking with Bill all night since they were ditching on him. Hermione was sure that Percy and Penny wouldn't drink much, they never did, and she figured that Lavender would stick with Ron. Molly had said that Auntie Muriel might be stopping by, but hadn't been sure. If Hermione thought about it, that's probably what Fred and George were up to.

Ginny came up behind her and handed her a drink with a straw in it.

"Pineapple juice and gin. Don't let Harry touch it or you won't get it back. He's already drowned one" Hermione took it and took a long drink, savoring the flavor.

"Merlin, I love these. Christine, what you think?" Christine had already sucked half her drink down.

"I think they're bloody amazing. How in the hell do muggles not have magic but they have such better liquor than we do?" Hermione let out a laugh before taking another long drink.

"They just believe in variety. We are definetly doing shots at a muggle club for my hen night. You are coming, don't even think about not. Charlie can't say no to me so don't use him as an excuse." Christine looked indignant as she sucked down the rest of her drink.

"I wouldn't miss it, are you kidding me? I think you two are a little crazier than I am, but I'm so going with you. Maybe I can tame you down." Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ginny wheezed a response while taking their glasses to get a refill.

"There is no stopping us. You're either with us, or watching. So, girl, you better get with us. We're gonna show you how tonight." Christine looked genuinely scared for a few moments before she squeaked out an answer.

"Ok, I'll try to get with you, but can we have a few drinks first? There's no way I can dance like you two were if I'm not drunk." Hermione couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Christine, stop worrying. She's messing with you. Besides, when Fleur took that video of us, we were wasted. I couldn't move like that sober, unless I was shagging maybe. Hell, that night I was so embarrassed that Ginny had me in that outfit! I swore that I showered in more clothing than that!" Ginny shot her a dirty look and Christine relaxed visibly.

After emptying another round of drinks, Christine got up to fix them another while Ginny and Hermione started some music. They had bought an array, wanting a mix up, and were jumping all over the place. Christine had started moving her hips to music and her feet to the beat without realizing it, while they played around finding a song that they liked. Hermione glanced over at her.

"Liking muggle music also, Christine?" She smiled and nodded.

"I do. There is a wide variety of music also." Hermione gave another laugh.

"We bought only a small variety of music. There is so much more out there." Christine gave her a wide smile.

"You might have to wire one of these up for me at home." Hermione was bobbing her head to the music.

"Sure thing. Shouldn't be too hard now that I know how." A Britney Spears song came on and Ginny started dancing, working her hips in side to side motion. Hermione left the song on, and joined Ginny, getting into the beat, even though she wasn't really a fan of the song. Christine was eyeing them warily and Hermione reached out and snatched her wrist.

As the song went on, Hermione started singing the words, picking up the easy lyrics quickly, as she grasped Christine's hips and moved them in time with her own. Eventually, her hands weren't needed and Christine had forgotten that she had cared what people thought. Her body was just moving and she was having fun. A song from the fifties came on next, allowing the girls to dance, but make a drink at the same time. After drinking half of it down in one drink, they moved the song to the next one, an upbeat one from Madonna. The three of them were dancing quite intimately on each other, when Ginny excused herself.

Hermione and Christine continued to drink and surf their CDs for a time, laughing at each others choices of songs. Hermione heard a door bang shut, but assumed that Ginny had come back. She started, however, when George pinched her side softly. With a yelp, she turned quickly.

"Guess where I just found your third partner in crime?" Hermione looked at him with a look of confusion.

"Ginny? I thought she was in the bathroom." He gave her a smile, one that was usually reserved for pranks.

"Well, I wouldn't be referring to Lavender. I ran into her and her lovely husband in the shed, shagging. Just thought I'd let you two know that you've been ditched for some dick. Let me tell you, I never want to see my sister in that position again." George gave her another grin and sauntered out. Hermione put her hands on her hips and turned to Christine.

"That horny little bitch ditched us. I say we do the same to her. Let's go shag our guys senseless and meet back here when we're done. She'll be the one waiting on us." Christine gave a wide smile.

"I can't do that. Everyone would know what we doing." Hermione patted her shoulder.

"Christine, I am by no means an expert at this kind of thing, I mean, Fred's the only guy I've ever been with. Ginny's my walking sex guide. However, the Weasley's have seven children. They know you do that. Personally, I think that guys get turned on when they think we just can't resist them. Go jump Charlie right now, and he'll probably give you the best shagging you've ever had." Christine blushed, drank down the rest of her drink, and nodded.

"Ok, Hermione, I'm trusting you. You and Ginny are the best friends I've ever had, I want you to know. I'm glad that we've gotten closer, that you guys have given me a chance." Hermione gave her a hug before speaking.

"I had no reason not to give you a chance. I'm glad that we've gotten close too. You're going to do just fine with Ginny and I. You'll be just as crazy as we are before you know it. Now just up to Charlie, grab his hand, act like you're going to whisper something in his ear, but instead nibble on his earlobe. If he doesn't get the hint, tell him you want him to take you somewhere and shag you senseless. I guarantee you, he won't disappoint." Christine gave her a shy smile.

"Thanks. See you back here in a bit." Hermione nodded and set off in search of Fred.

She found him by the chicken shed with George, trying to spy on Percy, Penny, and Lavender. Why, she wasn't sure, but she was sure that they thought it was important. They were conversing in low whispers while she approached silently from behind them. Deciding to try and scare them, she spelled her shoes to make no noise. Walking up behind them as close as she dared, she reached out and pinched both their sides. With a wild yelp, they both jumped up, lost their balance and fell against the side of the chicken shed. At the sight, she dissolved into laughter. George regained his footing, realizing that their cover was blown by the yelling going on on the other side of the shed.

"What the hell was the for, Hermione?" She was still laughing at their stunned expressions. Fred gave her a dirty look as well.

"I agree, Mia. You're getting entirely too good at pranking us. We can't have this, you're going to give us a bad reputation." At his words, she giggled even more. Finally, she was able to form a sentence.

"Your reputations are fine. And you made it entirely too easy. I just spelled my shoes to be silent. You two are obviously drinking and are being louder than you thought. I did it to pay you back George. For telling Christine and I that we've been ditched for dick." George laughed a little.

"I just thought that I would come and tell you." Hermione gave him a sweet smile.

"Well I just thought that I would come and tell you that you can go hang out with Bill because we're ditching you right now. Charlie's going to ditch Bill too. You both have pregnant wives, so you can go hang out together. We're going to go have some fun." She reached out and took Fred's hand, starting to pull him towards the orchard. George looked indignant.

"Really, Fred? You're going to let her just make you ditch your twin? On New Years and our pranks?" Hermione looked indignant now.

"Not ditch you completely. Just for a little while. You can have him back, I promise. Go play with Bill, talk babies for half an hour and I won't tell anyone that I was able to sneak up on you two. Deal?" George grumbled for a moment but finally nodded. As Hermione was leading Fred away, he commented with a smile in his voice.

"I feel like like I was just sold to the highest bidder. For sex nonetheless." She pushed him down by a tree in the orchard and sat on his lap.

"Are you complaining?" He ran his hands up her sides and pulled her in for a kiss.

"As long as it's you, never." She leaned forward and deepened the kiss, pressing her hands up his shirt, feeling his rippling muscles. Hermione could feel his hands pressing into her hips, kneading small circles into them, and she began to grind on him. A twig snapping startled him, but not her. She felt his arms tighten around her as Ron and Lavender walked by. Hermione looked up, startled, but the pair just kept walking after a surreptitious dirty look was thrown from Ron. Fred reached for his wand and gave it a wave, creating wards around them so they wouldn't be seen or heard.

Hermione unbuckled his pants, freeing his erection and then flipped her skirt up. She vanished her panties with a thought and lowered herself on him. A gasp escaped her mouth at the full feeling that engulfed her. Pulling her forward, he lowered his mouth to her collarbone, nibbling on it lightly while she worked her hips on top of him. He could tell that she was getting excited, her juices were running down his length and pooling between them. Sliding his hands up her shirt, he cupped her breasts as she began to bounce rather than grind. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened, head back, as she reached her orgasm. Her tight heat got tighter around him, and he felt himself stiffen inside her, reaching his own climax. She fell forward against his chest to catch her breath and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You can use me for that whenever you want, Mia." She let out a breathy laugh before sitting up.

"Good, I might use you for it again later." He laughed as he cast the cleansing charms.

"Good thing I'm young and have lots of stamina, huh?" Hermione gave him another kiss before she stood and pulled him to his feet.

"You better go find George before he starts to hate me for stealing his twin. I didn't realize he would take it so seriously." Fred grinned.

"You're fine, he could never hate you. He's grouchy because he's cut off right now, it has nothing to do with you taking me." Hermione started to giggle at the thought.

They parted ways at the chicken shed, Fred spotting George talking to Bill, Harry, and Charlie. He gave Hermione a squeeze on her hand as she headed back in the direction of the house to find Ginny and Christine. She found them at the table making drinks for the three of them. Christine gave her a brilliant smile.

"You were absolutely right, Hermione. I didn't have to say a word, he knew what I wanted. The sex is always good, don't get me wrong, but this was amazing! He was surprised, to say the least, but had no problems following through. Bill looked a little disappointed but I saw George headed his way so I figured you sent him over." Ginny started laughing as she handed her a drink.

"I can't believe that Hermione has become someone to go to for sex advice. Crazy!" Hermione shot her a dirty look.

"We had to do something since you ditched us to get some. Bitch." Ginny laughed out loud.

"What can you say, dancing on you girls got me horny. You should take that as a compliment." They all laughed and downed their drinks. Christine spoke.

"You know what sounds good is some chocolate. I've got the munchies." Hermione jumped up.

"Hey, I've got those chocolates that Ernie sent me for Christmas! I'll go get them, it does sound good." She bounded up the stairs to retrieve them while Ginny made them another drink. Returning with the package, Hermione opened it and set it in front of the three of them, reading the tag again. She noticed that it wasn't Ernie's usual tiny block handwriting, but large and somewhat scrawly. She made another mental note to send him a thank you note.

The trio of girls turned the music up and surfed through the songs once again as they drank their drinks and ate the chocolates. Eventually, they settled down at the table to gossip as they drank. Hermione started to feel a strange sensation come over her. There was no explaining it. She had no idea why she was at the Burrow. Looking over at Ginny and Christine, she saw that they bore the same confused looks that she was sure she did. The door banged open and Percy entered, excusing himself to the loo. Hermione looked at the others.

"Do you guys feel like we shouldn't be here?" The other two nodded. Ginny rubbed her temples as she popped another chocolate in her mouth.

"I think I need to go to Malfoy Manor. I need to see Draco." Christine was nodding and it made perfect sense to Hermione.

"It makes sense. I don't know why we're here. Draco is the one for us, why are we here? Let's go. What are we waiting for?" The three girls stood up and drained their drinks and walked up to the fireplace. Christine went first, throwing the floo powder and murmuring Malfoy Manor. Ginny went next. As Hermione went, she got the feeling in the back of her mind that it was wrong, but the stronger urge to go to Draco rose up. She disappeared in a flash of green flames.

Percy came out of the bathroom and smelled the ash from the fireplace, knowing that something bad had happened. He had caught portions of the three girls conversation, knowing that they said they needed to see Draco.

"Hermione? Ginny? Christine?" He received no response so headed back outside to find his brothers. He had feared that his drunk sisters had went on a fools errand.

Percy had no idea where Fred and George were, off pulling pranks somewhere he was sure. He knew that Harry and Ron were out in the orchard drinking together. Charlie, however, was with Bill sitting with his parents right out in the yard. Of all his brothers, aside himself, Charlie was the most laidback, but he feared greatly his reaction when he learned that his wife, Hermione and Ginny were missing. Approaching the group, Bill addressed him in a drunken voice.

"Hey, Perce. Pull up a chair. Have a drink and some fun tonight." Percy hated being the bad guy.

"I would but I fear we have bigger problems tonight." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Arthur gave him a serious look.

"What's wrong, son?" Percy gave a deep sigh.

"I went in the house to go to the loo and the girls were in there drinking and eating their chocolates. We all know how drunk those three are." Charlie broke in.

"They can't be fighting. They get on too good. If they are, just break 'em up and they'll be fine in the morning." Percy pinched his face up and shook his head.

"No, I heard them talking. They were saying this rubbish about how they shouldn't be here, they needed to go see Draco. I doubt I caught the whole conversation but the only Draco I know is Draco Malfoy. When I came out, they were gone. I looked for them. I smelled ash like someone had used the floo." Charlie jumped up, his drink forgotten.

"What the fuck are those three thinking? We have to go after them, it's not safe for them." Bill seemed instantly sober.

"I have to agree. They're pretty drunk. They don't have the judgement they normally would. Not to mention that Christine doesn't have the experience in the field that Hermione and Ginny do. He could easily pick her off if she's not expecting anything." Charlie let out a growl.

"He better not touch my wife, or let anyone else touch her, if he knows what's good for him." Arthur stood up to gain the attention of his sons.

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Malfoy doesn't come across as dangerous. He seems infatuated with Hermione, yes, but we know that she is well able to protect herself. Ginny and Christine are there with her and Ginny and Hermione wouldn't let anything happen to Christine. They love her as you do, Charlie. But I agree that we need to go after them." Arthur waved his wand and a silver weasel burst forth from his wand, heading off in seperate directions across his property.

Within minutes, all his children came at a run. Harry was frantic and there was blind panic in Fred's eyes. Percy repeated his story twice over but nobody could believe it. Fred stood first, before anyone made any plans, to see for himself if it was true. Striding into the house, he saw the empty cups and the mostly empty box of chocolates from Ernie that she had gotten for Christmas. The music was still playing quietly in the background. From the smell, he could tell that the floo had definetly been used recently. Harry and Ron had followed after him, apparently with the same thoughts as him. Taking in the details, they said nothing. Fred shook his head.

"I just don't think this is right. Hermione didn't even want to think about Malfoy, let alone go talk to him. I could maybe see Ginny wanting to confront him, but Hermione would have said no. Christine wouldn't have wanted to. None of this makes any sense." Harry was silent as Ron was nodding his head in agreeance with Fred.

"I agree with you, Fred. Hermione was never one to rock the boat. Not unless you pushed her over the line at the time. She wouldn't have just up and decided to go to Malfoys, not even if Ginny wanted to." Harry's head snapped up, catching the attention of both Fred and Ron.

"I don't think that this is Ernie's handwriting. I'm not sure, not at all, but I think his is kind of small and blocky. Has anyone talked to him since Christmas?" They both shook their heads. Fred thought for a second before he said anything.

"Well, regardless, we need to make a plan. Lets go back out and tell them."

After going back out and telling the others what they had found, they decided that Charlie, Fred, Harry, Arthur, and Ron would go to the Leaky Cauldron and use their floo to go to Malfoy Manor, hoping that they hadn't been shut off, since the Burrow was no longer accessible to Malfoy Manor. Bill, Percy, and George would remain behind and serve as reinforcements if needed. As they gathered their cloaks, Molly was hurrying after all of them, shoving sobering potion under their noses and into their pockets for the girls. Andie was behind her, wringing her hands. Striding towards the apparition point, the Weasley men, joined hands and with a crack, disappeared into the cold night air.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ok, I wasn't going to give you a cliffhanger again so soon but I really have to go to bed for my surgery and quit writing so I guess the second half will come after drugs. Haha! Any guesses on what will happen? Oh, and I did add a chapter before the wedding, sorry guys! But hey, that just makes the fic longer, right? Anyways, tell me what your thoughts are! Later guys! 


	49. Chapter 49

A/N- Sorry for that cliffhanger guys! Hope you didn't suffer too much...haha. I needed that rest before surgery though it had to be two chapters. Here's the rest of the story though...

Disclaimer: I only wish that I owned this whole universe that I write about...

Chapter 49 ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` January 1, 1999

Hermione, Ginny, and Christine entered the drawing room at Malfoy Manor from the fireplace and shook off the excess dust. Hermione felt herself searching for the blond hungrily, wondering just where exactly he was. Glancing across the room, she took in her surroundings and the room felt oddly familiar but it just couldn't seem important to her. Ginny and Christine started in opposite directions. Hermione stayed in the same spot until they realized she hadn't moved. Ginny finally glanced back.

"Are you coming?" Hermione looked confused.

"You're going different directions. Which way are we going to go?" Christine considered it.

"Well, I think we'll find him faster if we split up. Don't you?" Hermione smiled now that a plan had been established.

"I suppose that's logical. You two go the way you're headed and I'll take this corridor. If we go for an hour and don't find him, meet back here." The three of them nodded and headed in their respective directions.

Hermione meandered through the house, taking in the respective rooms as she passed through them. She hadn't realized how large Malfoy Manor was when she had been here last. That seemed like a lifetime ago looking back. Wandering up a flight of elegant looking stairs, she found a large room that had the door cracked. Peeking inside she saw the largest library she had ever seen except for Hogwarts. Drawing in an excited breath, she pushed the door open the rest of the way and rushed to the nearest shelf.

Hermione wasn't sure how long she was in the library but she had made it three shelves down and two over and found herself a comfortable spot on the floor when a sound broke her out of her parchment induced reverie. Instantly, she remembered that she was looking for Malfoy and started to set her book down, but knocked another book open in the process. Instantly, burns spread on her arms and hands, making her cry out in pain.

Draco Malfoy rushed to her side and fell to his knees. Taking her hands in his, he examined them.

"What happened to your hands, Hermione?" She continued to whimper as they continued to blister. He looked down and noticed the book. Snatching it up, he glanced through it.

"Shit. Hold on, Hermione, I have to find the countercurse." Flipping through the pages at a rapid rate, he searched as fast as he could while her skin continued to burn. "Here it is!" He took out his wand and muttered an incantation as he tapped her skin. The burning stopped and the redness slowly started to disappear.

"What was that? Why did the book hurt me?" Malfoy threw the book on the ground and set it afire.

"It's spelled to do that if anyone but a pureblood tries to read it." She took in the information but she could feel herself being outraged in the back of her mind. "What are you doing here, Hermione? How did you get here?" She smiled up at him shyly.

"I came through the floo. I thought about it, Draco, and I love you. I was thinking at the Burrow and it just wasn't the place to be anymore." He looked at her with a confused look on his face.

"Hermione, you said that we could never work, that you loved Fred. Why the change of heart? I mean, you hit me hard enough to break your hand." Hermione found that she couldn't answer his question.

"I don't know. This just seems right. You seem right. We seem right. Or do you have feelings for Astoria now?" Draco barked out a bitter laugh.

"No. I'm praying that the bond magic works on us so we feel something other than hate for each other. I didn't hate her until after the law. I'm not sure why she hates me. But I do love you, like I said, since fifth year." Hermione couldn't believe that her truest dreams were coming true.

"Truly?" He nodded his head and stroked her cheek. Hermione couldn't help but lean into his touch.

When Draco leaned down and kissed her, Hermione felt like everything was wrong and right at the same time. The urge to kiss him grew, and she deepened the kiss, drawing his tongue in. Her arms went around his neck and he pulled her against him with a sense of urgency. One hand tangled in the hair at the back of her neck and the other ghosted over her breast before resting at her waist. His mouth had trailed down her jawline and was working down her neck, her knickers becoming moist once again. His deft hand had worked its way up her shirt and over her breast, kneading it, making her rosebud nipple hard.

A figure emerged from behind shelf they were next to, causing him to look up from her neck. She thought that it was something she had done and was about to question him when the figure came into the light. It was Charlie. He had his wand raised and she was confused.

"Malfoy, get your fucking hands off her." Draco instantly took his hands off Hermione but she grabbed him and shot a dirty look at Charlie.

"Charile, stop. I love him. Why are you here?" Charlie fumbled at her words for a moment.

"You don't love him, Hermione. Something is going on. You, Ginny, and Christine just disappeared from the Burrow. Percy said that you guys just up and decided to come here. What's going on?" Hermione looked indignant.

"That's exactly right. We love Draco so we decided to come here." Malfoy snapped his head in her direction.

"You aren't alone?" She met his gaze.

"No. I never said that I was. You never asked. You just found me with burns. We split up to find you faster. I was the lucky one I guess." Charlie cut in.

"You don't know anything about this, Malfoy?" He shook his head.

"No, I came in here to trade out a book and found her with burns on her hands because she had flipped open a book that's spelled to burn people that aren't pureblood. I found the countercurse and cured her. She told me that she loved me, had changed her mind about me. Never said anything about anyone else being here." Hermione broke in.

"Will you two quit talking about me like I'm not here? I'm not invisible. I love Draco, so stop doubting me." Charlie nodded his head.

"Ok, Hermione, I believe you. Can I speak to Draco for a moment?" She nodded.

"I suppose." Malfoy stood up and walked towards Charlie. Charlie furrowed his brows before speaking.

"I doubt you'll want to believe it since you fancy yourself in love with the girl you've tormented for years, but I think somehow she's been given a love potion. She was all over Fred earlier tonight, Ron caught them together. Now she loves you? It doesn't add up." Malfoy looked crestfallen but nodded.

"I have a feeling you're right. I should have known it was too good to be true. Do you happen to have access to an antidote to see if you're right?" Charlie pondered it for a moment before answering.

"Possibly. We need to find the others. I need you to keep her placated without letting her get all over you so Fred doesn't try to kill you. In return, I'll keep Fred from killing you. Fair deal?" Malfoy gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Deal." Malfoy turned towards Hermione who was patiently waiting a short distance away. "Come on, love, we're going to go find Ginny and Christine. We don't want them to get lost in the Manor." She skipped happily to him, her skirt flouncing around her knees. He held out his hand and she took it with of hers.

Charlie let Malfoy lead the way but stayed to his unoccupied side, hoping to fend off any attack that his family would make. He took them the fastest way back down through the maze of rooms; Charlie wasn't sure how he could even remember his way. Realizing to himself that Harry and Ginny could afford a house this size almost stalled him, but he managed to keep pace with Malfoy and Hermione. They found the rest of his family quickly enough under Malfoy's instruction, but they weren't too happy.

Harry was upset, as was Ron. Fred and Arthur were confused. Ginny was proclaiming loudly that she loved Draco to Harry, that he could leave. Harry was trying to hold her hand and speak to her but it was doing no good, she wouldn't let him get near her or speak. Christine wasn't speaking unless they directly spoke to her. Charlie felt a pang of pain go through his heart when he heard her claim love for Malfoy as well. Ron suddenly caught their movement with his eyes.

"Get your fucking hands off her, Malfoy. I'll hex your fucking balls off." His wand came up and he started advancing on Malfoy. Charlie stepped in front of him and held his own wand aloft.

"Stop Ron. There is something going on here. She has the same problem as the other two. Do you really want her to turn her wand on you trying to protect him?" Ron stopped and Fred stepped forward.

"Mia? Come here, love. You're safe now." She gave him a confused look.

"I was completely safe with Draco before. I can't imagine why anyone would think otherwise. We were having a wonderful time in the library." Fred took a step closer to her and held out his hand.

"Mia, you've never felt safe with Malfoy. Ever." She continued to look confused.

"I can't ever imagine why I wouldn't. He's loved me since we were fifteen. And I love him." Charlie saw the pain shoot across Fred's face like a lightning bolt. Finally Charlie decided to speak.

"I think they've had a love potion. Do you have an antidote at the shop?" Fred stood there in a daze for a moment before realizing that Charlie had spoke to him.

"Yeah, we have some. Let me send a patronus to George. He can get three doses and bring them here. Can you set your floo to open from Weasley's Wizards Wheezes for the night?" Malfoy nodded.

Fred waved his wand and his furry monkey burst forth and then disappeared, headed for George. He hoped the Malfoy would be willing to have the girls drink the potion, otherwise they would have to wait for the effects to wear off naturally, which could take quite awhile. It was a short wait for George, thank Merlin, before he showed up with the antidote for the love potion. George handed the three bottles to Fred when he came through the floo.

With a hard look, Fred walked up to Malfoy and held them out. Malfoy took them and took a deep breath.

"Ginny, Christine, can you take these for me?"

Holding one out to each of them, they grasped them in their hand and drank them back. After a moment, the dazed look in their eyes cleared and they started to look confused. Ginny was the first to look confused.

"Where are we? And why are we here?" Christine was nodding her agreement. Arthur finally spoke.

"Somehow you, Christine, and Hermione took a love potion and you all fancied yourself in love with Mr. Malfoy. You left the Burrow and came here to Malfoy Manor in search of him. You just got done telling us how much in love you were with him, both of you." Ginny looked horrified and rushed to Harry's side, who started to whisper something in her ear. Christine looked at Charlie for a moment before she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.

Fred glared at Malfoy. Malfoy pulled Hermione away from Fred where only Charlie and Christine could hear him.

"Thank you, Hermione, for the best thirty minutes of my life. It was, indeed, a pleasure." He took the hand that was still holding his and kissed it. Holding up the final bottle, he handed it to her. "Hermione, love, will you drink this for me?"

Hermione took the bottle from him and drank it.

Everyone watched as her eyes cleared and confusion sank in. When she realized she was holding Malfoy's hand, she let go and pushed away towards Charlie.

"What's going on? Why the fuck am I in the room I was tortured in?" Hermione could feel the anxiety setting in her system. Charlie was the first to speak.

"Somehow, you, Christine, and Ginny were given a love potion and you all left the Burrow and came here because you thought you were in love with Malfoy here. You split up and strolled the Manor looking for him. I found you and Malfoy in the library. Apparently, you became enamored with his library and became distracted, where he found you. This is just simply the room where we found everyone else, not any other reason Hermione." Hermione looked stricken, like she would faint. Fred rushed to her side and put an arm round her waist.

"A love potion? Those damn chocolates. I knew that wasn't Ernie's handwriting...the library." Her eyes snapped up to Malfoy. "Tell me about the library." Malfoy took a deep breath.

"I had went in to return a book and heard something. I heard you crying because a book had burned your hands. It was spelled to burn you if your weren't a pureblood. After finding the countercurse and healing you, I burned the book. You kept telling me that you loved me but you couldn't tell me why. I was confused. We talked, about the past mostly. Then Weasley came up and scared the wits out of both of us." Hermione's eyes cleared some and she glanced at the floor.

"Where did the antidote come from?" Arthur answered.

"Fred and George had some at the store. Although you would have never taken it if Malfoy hadn't have had you take it." Hermione looked at Malfoy fully for the first time since being there.

"Really?" Everyone nodded.

In the distance a grandfather clock chimed. Malfoy looked at the clock.

"I hate to kick everyone out, but Astoria will be home in a few minutes and this is going to look bad on all our parts. I doubt any of us need this." Everyone began agreeing and heading towards the floo.

Hermione slowed, feeling that her thanks was owed to the man that could have done worse by her. Even though Fred still had hold of her and wasn't letting go, she walked up to Malfoy and looked him in the eye before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, Draco, for not taking advantage of a situation that you could have done a lot of damage to me in. You are a changed man. I truly do wish you happiness." She didn't wait for a response before she turned and disappeared through his floo.

When everyone else had gone through, and all that was left was Charlie, Malfoy sagged in relief.

"Thank you, Weasley, for not outting me. And for not beating the piss out of me. Those muscles of yours are rather impressive." Charlie gave him a grin and held out his hand.

"As many problems as I have with your past choices, that was truly honorable. You just saved her a lot of embarrassment. I do believe that you love her. You can only do that for people that you love. If you love Hermione, you can't be that bad." Malfoy gave him a small smile.

"Thanks, Weasley. Turning the new leaf and all." With a wave, Charlie disappeared through the floo and entered the kitchen of the Burrow. Fred was already accosting him since Hermione was seated at the table with a cup of tea provided by Fleur.

"Was that really all that Malfoy and Mia were doing in that library, Charlie? She can't remember anything that happened, none of them can." Charlie nodded.

"That's all Fred. They were holding hands and talking." Fred visibly sagged with relief at his words

Charlie took a seat at the table and held out his hand for Christine, who sat on his lap and leaned into his chest. He hadn't liked the feeling of his wife pledging her love to another man, so he intended to protect his brother from the pain of the truth about Hermione and Malfoy. Nothing major had happened and Malfoy wasn't going reveal the truth. Charlie felt guilty but sometimes you do things you don't like for the ones you love. He glanced around and saw that Harry and Ginny were gone. He voiced his concern.

"Where's Harry and Ginny?" Fred answered him since everyone else had already left the room except him and Hermione.

"They went home. They went ahead and apparated since they knew you were still coming through the floo." Charlie couldn't help but be concerned some.

"Shouldn't they have waited a little bit? Let things cool down? I mean, remember when he got angry with Hermione in her room? The bathroom door?" Fred gave a chuckle.

"I don't think you have any worries about that. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. I think Harry was more than ready to stake his claim over Malfoy." Charlie couldn't keep his laugh in.

"Does he not remember that he did that earlier in the night?" Fred shrugged his shoulders. Hermione stood up.

"Guys, I think I'm going to go on to bed. I'm shattered." She gave Christine a hug and Charlie kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks for saving me again, Charlie." He smiled at her but said nothing.

Fred followed her up the stairs and waited until she was dressed in her nightclothes to pull her to him completely. The feel of her body against him was like coming home. It took a few moments before he realized that she was crying. He held her in his shoulder and smoothed her hair while she sobbed. When she had calmed down some, she started to speak.

"I feel like I just had someone put the Imperious Curse on me. This feels horrible. What if I had had sex with him, Freddie? I want to know who did this to me, to us. If Malfoy had wanted to be a complete prick, he could have done that to me." Fred pulled her in tighter and had to admit that that blond had acted honorably.

"I know, Mia. Even if you had, it wouldn't be your fault and I would still love you. But you didn't so I think that you should quit beating yourself up over things that didn't happen. We'll find out who did it, Mia, alright." She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry for you must have gone through. To hear me say such things must have been horrible. I can't even imagine what it would be like to hear you say them about another girl. Please forgive me." Fred pulled her in for a deep kiss and twisted his fingers in her curls. When he pulled away he was breathless.

"There's nothing to forgive. It wasn't you, Mia. I'm not mad at you at all. Come on, let's go to bed. It's been a rough day."

Fred laid down, Hermione following suit. He pulled her soft curves up against him, feeling for the first time that their presence in his bed might be threatened. Relishing the feel of her in his arms as she fell to sleep, he told himself that he wasn't crazy to trust Malfoy and that he would find who had done this to his family.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Alrighty guys, hope you enjoyed. I couldn't make Malfoy a total jerk. Although, I hate to admit, I feel somewhat guilty that I put him in the situation of getting his hopes up that the girl he loves returns it and then snatch it away. I'm telling myself that it's for the sake of the story. Tell me that I did the right thing! Especially with Charlie keeping Malfoy's secret...thoughts? Let me know... 


	50. Chapter 50

A/N- For al those that asked about my surgery, it was successful. Not only did they have to give me a cadaver ACL tendon, the Dr. had to repair my MCL tendon and pin it back to the bone, and repain the torn meniscus. I don't suggest that everyone ever get these get these surgeries together! Haha. So we know that Hermione, Ginny, and Christine were given love potion in the chocolates .(I'm gonna assume that everyone caught that). But who used the love potion to attract them to Malfoy? Anyways, here we go!

Side note: I seriously just wrote this, it is unedited. Sorry if you find any mistakes. I try really hard to catch them as I write but I will be the absolute first to say I make tons of errors! If you find em, I'm super sorry!

Disclaimer : I own nothing, just the character Chistine Weasley. I truly wish that the Harry Potter universe beloned to me, but you know how liife goes...

Chapter 50 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` January 9, 1999

Hermione gave a deep sigh as she finished counting out the register for the day. Pushing her long dark hair out of her eyes, she settled into a comfortable chair in the corner and opened the latest book that she was three chapters in, Fred and George came from the back room. George was the first to speak.

"Well are you two love birds ready for your last shingdigs before you get leg-shackled to each other forever?" Fred laughed at his twin. Hermione simply scowled before scowling.

"I doubt that this will be our last night out. It's not our fault that Angelina won't let you go have fun." It was quite apparent that George didn't appreciate her brand of humor so he stuck out his tongue."I'm going to go help your mum with dinner before we all go out." They both gave nods as she stepped into the fireplace and disappeared into the green flames.

When she arrived, Molly, Fleur, and Ginny had just about gotten the meal cooked. Hermione helped with the finishing touches and set the table as the men began to trickle in. Charlie, Percy, Christine, Penny, and Lavender would be there after the meal. The table was laden down with wonderful food and there was banter all around the table. Molly finally asked where them their plans for the was the one who answered first.

"I think that I want to hit up the Leaky Cauldron for a shot or two with the boys and its the muggle dance clubs for us. And no taping this time, Fleur!" Everyone at the table chuckled. Fleur wiggled her eyebrow.

"You never know what I might do...it might be a funny reel at your wedding." Ginny spoke up.

"Actually that's a great idea. We could take that camera thing and go around to all the family and friends of Fred and Hermione and they could say whatever they wanted to the couple and we could show it at the reception." Hermione just shook her head and grinned.

"You're going to do it whether I say yes or no so I might as welll go along as a wiling participant." This earned more laughter from the looked expectantly at Fred.

"We're just goig to drink at the Leaky all night. Nothing too exciting for us. We can all get wasted there and floo home." Ginny nudged Hermione in the shoulder while they were doing dishes.

"See, boys are so predictable." The two of them giggled a little as they finished up the dishes.

Fleur flooed home to get her video recorder and while she was gone, Lavender, Charlie, Christine, Percy, and Penny showed up. Fleur returned shortly after, Luna right after her. The boys had already left, once Neville, Seamus, Oliver, Dean, and a couple of other boys that didn't look familiar to Hermione. Before Fred had left, he gave her a soft lingering kiss, told her to be careful, and to trust him. With the look in his eyes, it was easy to believe him, but the second she saw him disappear, there was that little niggle of double in the back of her brain. After shaking the whole situation out her head, she was determined to have a good time at her own hen night.

Hermione ran up the stairs to change her clothes and noticed that Ginny had left her out an outfit. After putting it on, Hermione felt damn near naked. She wore black spandex skirt that came to mid-thigh but there were slits on each side that went up a good six inches. Once again, the strapless bra was needed because the sapphire top she was sporting fell off one shoulder. The top was made of silk, had sleeves to her elbows, and showed off half her midriff. Once her hair was charmed straight and her makeup applied a little more heavily than normal. she headed down the stairs to find everyone else ready.

Ginny, of course, had no problems dressing the same way she dressed Hermione. She was dressed in a dress that was shorter than Hermione's and gave her cleavage a mile long. Penny straight up wouldn't dress for a bachelor's party and was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Lavender had her own style when it came to dressing up. She was wearing a floaty, light blue dress that was almost sheer. She carried no shawl even though it was winter. Ginny had obviously gotten hold of Christine, who was extremely close in size to Ginny, tall and slender. Hermione had always been jeaous of their builds, they could always wear whatever they wanted. Ginny had dressed her in red, knowing it was Charlie's favorite color. Her black skirt came close to Hermione's in length but her top was red and off the shoulder. She looked mortified. Luna was as eccentric as ever. Fleur and Angelina were coming as well, to help with apparition home and make sure that there weren't any fights. They dressed comforable since they would only be sitting at the bar dringing soda. Ginny started talking over everyone who thought their outfits were the most horrible.

"I say we go by floo to the Leaky Cauldron...it's warmer that way. Everyone agree?"All the girls nodded.

They each took a turn stepping into the fireplace with a pinch a floo powder, muttering their destination, and disappearing in a whoosh of green all the girls had arrived, it took them no time at all to find the boys. They all ordered a round of firewhiskey, burning it's way down their throat and into their stomach. Another drink with the boys, letting them all ogle their dates, the girls decided to head to Fabric, a popular night club located in muggle London. As all the girls walked outside, they linked hands, letting Hermione take control, headed to the club.

Compared to the one that they had all traveled to on Ginny's hen night, Fabric was didn't have to wait long to get in. Ginny simply grinned.

"It's because we're all totally hot."

The gaggle of girls went up to the bar and ordered all sorts of different shots. Christine was the first brave one to try a tequila shot. Everyone watched as she licked the salt, took the tequila, and then bit the lemon. When she said that it was amazing, nobody believed her of course, but when she ordered another one, Hermione couldn't help but try one also. Christine doubled the movements, while Hermione watched. Then Hermione copied Christine's. Hermione had to admit that it was extremely good, however, she doubled that tequila would be very good without the salt or the lime.

Soon after that, they went back to trying all sorts of different liquors, Penny even loosened up some. Lavender was laughing and talking to everyone, even Hermione. Before they got too drunk to stand, Hermione pulled them to the dance floor. She then ran to the DJ and requested a song by Gloria Gaynor, I Will current song had just started so the girls started dancing on each other. When the next song was't Hermione's they another drink was in order.

After another couple songs, Hermione's came on making her squeal in delight. She drug everyone to the dance floor, which had dwindled considerably. Hermione was truly hopeful that Fleur was not catching this dance on tape since she knew that they were completely sloshed. When the song had finished, Hermione suggested going home because of the late hour.. Ginny agreed.

"Yeah, Harry's probably worried and I want to get me some tonight." Everyone groaned.

As we were towards the door to leave, a woman stepped in Hermione's line of sight. Even through her drunken haze, Hermione knew exactly who she was. She decided to take the offensive.

"What in the bloody hell do you want, Astoria?" She gave the trademark Slytherin smirk.

"What I'd like is for you to stay away from my fiance. Oh yes, I know all about your little excursions in my house. You see, poor Draco isn't near as clever as everyone gives him credit for. For one, when I got home on New Years, the floo was open to that hovel you all call home. Second, there were three antidote bottes to a love potion in the trash. I know that he bought it intending to use it on you, Miss Granger, but never in a million years did I see you using it on him." Hermione was so mad her blood was boiling.

"We were fed that love potion through a box of chocolates. Somebody left your floo open so you could get in but nobody else could follow." Astoria let out a mirthless laugh.

"That's because it was set to only allow females aside from doesn't even know." Hermione was shocked.

"So you did this? You caused all these problems? Why?" Astoria just laughed again.

"Well, you see, being with an ex-Death Eater doesn't get you anywhere, socially or financially. If you two were caught together by me, it would null our engagement. You and your bloodtraitor could still by happily married if you wanted since you would be under the influence of a love potion.. That actually came from his own store. Quite ironic, don't you think?"

The smug smile on Astoria's face crossed Hermione's line. She lunged forward, her tiny 5'2" build knocking Astoria's 5'6" to the ground. Once she had her there, Hermione just started hitting her. Somebody made her stop when there was blood on her hands and on her dress top. Christine and Ginny each had her by the arm and was attempting to pull the tiny wildcat off the poor witch on the floor.

Once they reached a deserted alley, Hermione waved her wand in her hand before the apparated.

' This message is for Draco fiance is hurt at the club Fabric and I'm the one who did it to her. She's the one who gave us the love potion because she wanted to catch us in bed together so she could get your marriage annulled. I'm sorry for any convenience this has caused you. I simply felt you deserved the truth for not taking advantage of me that night. '

After watching her otter swim away, she linked hands with the rest of the girls and apparated back to the Burrow. To her surprise, everyone was still up talking about the fun that the boys had had. The story turned to the girls, Fleur downright admitting that got a few good videos of all the girls dancing. At hearing this thought, Hermione was humiliated already since her fight with Astoria sobered her up quite easily. Ginny took over the details, telling them what they drank, the songs they heard and danced and then the fight that Hermione had gotten into. All the mens heads snapped up, including Molly's. Hermione rubbed her hands down her face, complaining.

"Ginny, can't you ever keep your mouth shut?" She gave her a smile. Then everyone spotted the blood on the back of her hands. Charlie spoke first.

"Obviously that's the other guys blood. Tell us what happened." Hermione just sighed, giving in.

"Astoria Greengrass, Draco Malfoy's match was there at the club. We had paid our tabs and were walking out the door and she stopped me. Told me to back off. Then she was going on about how Malfoy was stupid because he left the floo onto your house and she found three empty antidote bottles from Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Then she turned it around and pretty much confessed to doing it. If she caught him in bed with me, she could get someone of better standing. Said that Malfoy is no good because his name is dirt and gets nowhere in social circles now. Plus if that happened, I could keep my blood traitor. That's when I lost it. All the trouble we went through that night, just because she's a snotty, spoiled brat. So I shoved her with all my weight, pinned her down, and started punching. Christine and Gin had to pull me off her. When we got to an alley I sent a patronus letting him know of Astoria's whereabouts and what she had done." Everyone was stunned for a moment until Charlie started his booming laugh.

"That's our Hermione. You just don't piss her off!" George got to giggling.

"You realize that now, not only have punched Malfoy, twice may I add, you have now punched his fiance!"

Everyone was now laughing. Bill leaned over the table and healed Hermione's hands in a trice, which she thanked him for. After excusing herself to bed, Fred followed shortly after. As she was readying herself for bed, she asked Fred abou his night out with the boys.

"Oh it was fun. We all had contests on who could drink the most firewhiskey the fastest. I'm sure you know who won that one." With a laugh and a disapproving look at the same time she gave in.

"Charlie?" Fred simply nodded.

"I have to tell you something, Mia. Katie Bell did show up tonight. She's matched with Oliver so she came by later." By this time she was lying on the bed and rolled her to her stomach and began massaging her shoulders. "She tried to talk to me...alot...but after I told Charlie it was the same girl he was more than happy to run interference for me. George did too." Hermione was stunned. Stunned enough to sit up.

"Freddie, I never said you couldn't talk to them. I just don't want you to flirt with them while I'm right there. In fact, no flirting at all. I just don't have a very high self esteem, I never have. Seriously, you are the first guy who's ever told me that I'm beautiful since Viktor Krum, and he just wanted some. Harry's said it, but he's supposed to. He's my brother." Fred gave her a small smile.

"Love, I've thought you were beautiful for years. I could just never do anything about it because you were always so in love with Ron. I remember the way you would watch him with that look on your face. It really was quite disgusting. I totally get it now though. Because that is exactly how I look at you." She giggled and swatted him with a pillow.

The pillow fight ensued for a good ten minutes before Hermione admitted defeat, finally laying on the bed, panting. As they cooled off, they shared more details from their parties. The confused look on the muggles face when she asked him if he knew that there were leftover nargles flying above him. Fleur almost getting caught doing a refillling charm because she got tired of waiting on a soda. Charlie teling his taming dragons stories,

It wasn't too far into their storytelilng that Hermione's breathing evened out, her head went slack on the pillow, and snuggled into him for warmth. Fred didn't think he would admit to anyone else but the feeling of her snuggling into him, her curves fitting his angles perfectly, was one of the best things in the world. Pulling her even closer and letting her head rest with her head in the crook of his neck, she gave a contented sigh in her sleep and reached for his hand as well. Instead of making her search for it, he gave it to her, knowing there would be niightmares tonight. His own would join them. His were always of losing her, not getting there in time at Nott Mansion. Oh well...all the more reason to hold her tighter...

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````Alrighty guys, done! Chapter 50 is out of the way (: So proud of myself ((((: There is the next chapter and then it's wedding bells...I 'm still not sure if I'm going to make the wedding chapter one of two...decisions, decisions. I think I'm gonna start being a meanie and not post the next chapter until I get five reviews (:  
Til next time kids, over and out! 


	51. Chapter 51

A/N- Sorry, y'all, I didn't realize that that last chapter was so short. I'm going to try to make this one longer for you though (: After this chapter begins the wedding my rockstar readers! Not gonna lie, I'm a little nervous to write it. I kind of suck at things like that so if it completely sucks, please don't kill me! Anyways, enough of the rant, haha. Happy Trails...

Disclaimer: I own the character Christine Weasley and her awful family...but thats it. Frowny face :(((

Chapter 51 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` January 12, 1999

Hermione rolled over in Fred's arms and stretched langorously. Her mind was focused on nothing but being in Fred's warm embrace when the thought hit her that they were getting married tomorrow. There was still so much to do. She and Bill and spent the last four days casting atmospheric charms where the service would be held and the reception/dance in to the urge to jump out of the bed, Fred grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down with a smirk on his face.

"Now, Mia, you know I won't get to see you until tomorrow afternoon, right? The smirk turned into the lopsided grin that she could never say no to.

"Only once. That should hold you until tomorrow night." Hermione was fairly sure that what made sex so exciting for him now is that she was no longer on any contraceptives. If anything happens, they were going to just let it happen.

Fred pressed kisses from her inner wrist up to her shoulder, where he began to nibble at the crook of her neck, her special spot that always made her wet in her knickers. Hermione groaned as he slowly moved up her neck to her jaw. When he captured her mouth, his hands roamed freely over her body. His fingers teased her nipples until the were pebble hard. When he broke their kiss, he put one hard nipple in his mouth, at first sucking softly, then quite forcefully. Her hands were tangled in his hair as he moved ot the next nipple to give it the same treatment. Her back was arching and she was moaning his name.

While he showing the last nipple attention, his other hand roamed down to her intimate folds. Caressing her nub, she almost jumped out of the bed. He placed two fingers inside her, working them in and out, while he bent his mouth to the task. Lapping at her folds, while working his fingers inside and out, was bringing her close to release. Her fingers in his hair guided him where she wanted him to be. He could tell when she reached her released, her muscles tightening around his fingers. She moaned his name once before he abrubply pulled out his fingers and sheathed his entire length in her.

Hermione gasped again with pleasure., enjoying the feeling of being full of him. Fred worked it in nice and slow, while cradling Hermione to his chest. This pace just wasn't satisfying so Hermione made the effort to throw Fred off of her, and she sat atop him. She started rolling her hips and her long mahogany locks fell over the front of her shoulders, like chocolate of vanilla. Hermione rubbed her hands up and down his chest

Fred's hands reached up and put his hands over her bouncing breasts as she rode him, slamming herself down on top of him. Using his hips as a bracing point, she lost herself in the moment. When her slick heat tightened down on him, she let out a moan that he was certain would have shook the house if not for their silencing spells and his name. When he felt her tighten, he spilled himself inside her, deep inside her , due to the way the were positioned. She didn't climb off of him, but laid on his sweatly chest for a few moments to catch her breath.

When she stood up to get off the bed, she took of like a flash for the bathroom.

"Haha, race for the shower and you just lost." Fred refused to be outdone and ran to her and threw her over his shoulders, setting her down right outside the bathroom door.

"Sorry, Mia, I think you lose." She crossed her arms and pouted at him.

"You're a cheater. I say we take one together." Fred oped the door more than willingly for her.

Forty-five minutes later, they were both out of the shower and ready for the day. Heading down for breakfast, a crowd of Weasleys had gathered. Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, and Harry were going to get their final fitting at Madam Malkins today Christine had proven to be quite the seamstress, so all the women were going to wear their dresses at the Burrow and Christine would atler them, rather than chase down each individual store they had went to.

After a rowdy breakfast, Molly went through the days events with everyone to make sure that everyone know their job. The snow had long melted, thank Merlin, but more atmospheric charms would be needed so as to keep the bridal party warm. Hermione and Bill volunteered for those after their fitting, Luna was to set up tables, Molly, Fleur, and Angelina would be cooking, Penny and Lavender would be working on tableclothes and flowers for the aisles. Most of the boys would be helping Arthur get the outside in shipshape. As the girls would get finished, they would cast more atmospheric charms.

All the boys left for the day, except for Percy and Ron, so Christine started altering the dresses. Hermione went first, as hers was the most important, but there wasn't much to alter there. Taken in just a touch at the waist to indicate a little weight loss. Ron and Percy walked through as Hermione was asking if it needed hemmed up since her heels were high. Percy was the first to speak.

"Hermione, you look beautiful in that dress. Fred is going to have kittens when he sees it." Hermione smiled at him.

"Thanks, Percy. That really means a lot. Now don't tell anyone you saw me in the dress. That goes for you as well, Ron." They both smiled and laughed before heading outside to start their work out there.

Christine made fast work of Hermione's dress and then moved on the Ginny's. She declared that it was a perfect fit. Luna's dress needed to be hemmed up a couple inches so she wouldn't be tripping on it all night and Fleur dress was perfect. The way that it flowed it fit perfectly around her pregnant belly. Molly's dress needed taken in at the waist a few inches but other than it was perfect. The whole fitting had only taken two hours, which was fine with Hermione because she was anxious to start helping outside.

Luna headed to the tables, flicking her wand at them and watching them assemble themselves on their own. As quickly as Luna was getting the tables set up, Penny and Lavender were right behind her with the decorations that Hermione had chosen herself. Delicious smells were already coming from the kitchen of the Burrow. Hermione decided to get start on the flowers that would be at the end of each aisle, blue and white daisies, and babysbreath thread through. Once she made all the flower arrangements for the aisles, she started on the arrangement for her bouquet.

Hermione was completely lost in thought before she realized that all of the Weasley men had moved the large tent out to be set up. Everyone gathered around to help lift it since it was so large. Guiding it with their wands, it was set up with minimal yelling on Molly's part and no burnt supper, as Hermione looked at the time and realized that it was already time for dinner. It was just as well that she had gotten her bouqet finished, all the aisle pieces; Lavender and Penny had gotten all the tablepieces finished as well.

Molly hollered for everyone to come in, that dinner was ready to eat. Everyone squeezed into their normal spots and wasted no digging in. The banter was much more laidback and playful than after Ginny's wedding. Ron had to get his digs in as well.

"So Fred, Percy and I just happened to be walking through the kitchen while the girls were getting their dresses altered and we saw Hermione in her dress. Before you." Percy started to chuckle behind his hand. Fred gave them both a look.

"That's alright. I'll see it when I'm supposed to. If she wants me to wait like muggle tradition, then I will waitl." Ron's expression turned dark.

Hermoine leaned over and pressed a kiss to Fred's cheek. Once the meal was over, everyone helped clean up, making the work light and short. Charlie, Christine, Percy, Penny, Bill, Fleur, Lavender, George, and Angelina were all getting ready to leave at the same time. They knew the next day would be a long one. Hermione followed Fred out into the freezing cold where the apparition point was located. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on her head.

"I'll miss you, Mia. Hopefully I can sleep without you. I know it's just one night at Georgie's but I've gotten used to having you next to me." Hermione looked up at him and smiled.

"I know what you mean. I've kind of gotten used to your arms around me at night. It's just one night though. That will be easy enough. You're going to your twins flat. Have some fun with him. Just make sure you're at the wedding on time, sober." He gave a short laugh.

"Who will protect you if something goes wrong? I know you don't need it, but Nott Mansion keeps flashing through my brain." She rubbed his back, not sure if it was for comfort or warmth.

"Ron will be here. He's trying to mend fences. Your mum and dad. You're forgetting that your mum killed Bellatriz Lestrange, the most feared witch of her age. And before you start in on Ron trying something, I'm putting the same complex locks on my door as I did when you had to Bill break them. I'll tell your mum how to break them if there's an emergency." Fred gave her one last smile.

"Alright then, I'm off. Tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Weasley and you'll officially be my wife." He leaned down and gave her a lasting kiss before he strode to the apparition point, and with a wave, twisted out of sight.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Okey dokes guys, wedding is next! So excited! I've been sooo waiting for this...I've developed somewhat of a writers block, so hopefully this wedding will give me what I need (: Ok, five reviews before I post another chapter...which you guys almost always hit on every chapter anyways, so I really don't feel like I'm challenging you, haha. Anyways, let me know if you enjoyed... 


	52. Chapter 52

A/N- Ok, guys, bear with me on this one. I promised to give you a good wedding chapter for Fred and Hermione. I am kind of just winging it to be honest...this whole chapter could be completely rewritten because I hated it. Haha that's the kinda crazy shit I do. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it...if not, feel free to let me know and I will rewrite it (to an extent) when I'm done with the fic. Alrighty, now we will go on with the show.

Disclaimer: I own only Christine Weasley. In my wildest and wettest dreams, I own the Harry Potter universe. However, I'm awake. Lucky me. (voice dripping in sarcasm).

Chapter 52 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````January 13, 1999 Fred & Hermione's Wedding

Hermione knew from the moment she opened her eyes that she looked like hell. Fleur was going to have her work cut out for her. Sleep had evaded her all night long, like fireflies on a summer night. She had missed Fred's warmth most of all, but the way he always had his arm around her waist and his face buried in her hair came in a super close second. Surprisingly, she hadn't had any nightmares during the short amount of sleep did get. Maybe the gods did take pity on her.

Trudging down the stairs in her pajamas, she sought out coffee instead of tea, deciding that she needed some caffeine to boost her through the day. Charlie and Christine were already there and were looking at her strangely. As was Arthur. She all gave them a wary look.

"Do I have something on my face? Is that why everyone at the table is staring at me except Ron?" Ron gave a laugh and was the one to answer her question.

"None of them have ever seen you at the table in pajamas with your hair looking quite like that. I recall from our days on the run when we wore every layer of clothing we owned just to stay warm, we washed off in water heated from snow or from a stream, and half the time you didn't have time to brush your hair. I'm used to this look on you. They aren't." Christine's hand went to her mouth in surprise and Molly's eyes watered. Before they could speak, Hermione beat them to it.

"I just didn't see the point in getting dressed for the day or brushing my hair out when Fleur is going to be here in an hour to do it all for me. Call me lazy, but today is my day and I'm tired so therefore you all get to see me in my natural state." The tears were now falling down Molly's cheeks freely. Ron got up to comfort her while Christine regarded Hermione.

"What exactly was Ron going on about? I don't really know your whole story since my family were all Slytherins they kind of supported the other side." Hermione gave a small sigh.

"Well it's too long to tell you everything right now, that could take forever, but I'll hit the high points. Dumbledore gave Harry a mission and made him swear he couldn't tell anyone except me and Ron. Well the mission was to find and destroy pieces of Voldemorts soul. The plan was to leave last summer, after Bill and Fleur's wedding. However, Death Eaters crashed the wedding and we were forced to leave earlier than planned. We spent ten months on the run from snatchers and Merlin knows what else. We broke into the Ministry and Gringotts. We were eventually caught by snatchers and they took us to Malfoy Manor, the same place we went on New Years, and I was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. That's where I got the 'mudblood' scar. Her husband just reopened it when he caught us in Diagon Alley in August. That's the short version. Get me drunk sometime and I'll tell you the whole version." Christine shook her head incredulously.

"I can't believe you did all that. It's no wonder you're so strong. You didn't have a choice." Hermione gave a small laugh. Ron joined her after comforting his mother.

"She's a tough cookie because she had no other choice. Constantly bailing me and Harry out of scrapes. I think the only time we ever had to bail her out of anything was our first year when we went after the Sorcerer's Stone. I got her past the wizards chess and Harry got her through the flying keys. Even during second year when she was petrififed she told us what the monster was and how it was moving through the castle." Hermione scowled at him.

"That's not true. Harry saved Sirius and I from a hundred dementors in third year. There was no way I could have made a patronus at thirteen like he did. I would have been dead." Christine and Charlie were just shaking their heads in awe. Hermione broke up their increduality with a statement.

"You're more than welcome to stay and get ready with us Christine. I don't mean to sound mean or hateful towards Luna, because I do love her dearly, but you're going to be my sister. If I had known you half as well when we chose who would stand with us, I would have chose you. Not that I don't love Luna, but you understand my meaning...plus, Fleur is amazing at hair and makeup if you're looking for tips." Christine's eyes lit up.

"I would love that! And that's ok that I'm not in your wedding. Do you mind if I stay and get ready with the girls, Charlie?" Charlie gave her a smile while he rubbed his finger down her cheek all the way to her collarbone.

"No, love, I don't care. Do your girl thing. Just remember that your owe me a dance later tonight." Christine looked confused.

"You hate dancing, Charlie." He gave a booming laugh after giving her a kiss.

"That's why it's a punishment. You have to be seen dancing with an ox like me." Everyone laughed at his sentiment.

The floo activated, sending Harry and Ginny through. Ginny seemed to have the same idea that Hermione did, because she looked entirely too comfortable in one of Harry's old quidditch jerseys and a pair of black sweats. They had just sat down for tea when Bill and Fleur came through the floo. They were now just waiting on Luna to get there, so they women bade their farewells until the ceremony. Arthur gave Hermione a kiss on the forehead as she passed.

"Hermione, this is my welcome to the family before we're in front of a crowd. Or the press. Before you blow up, we had to agree to press. You are one of the Golden Trio. There was press at Harry and Ginny's wedding, there will be press at yours, and there will be press and Ron's. It will be very discreet, I promise you." Hermione let out a big breath and sighed.

"I suppose you're right. That doesn't mean I have to like it." Arthur laughed at her sulky tone. Charlie cut in.

"You better suck that lower lip in before you trip on it. Now come give me a hug since the next time I see you, you'll be saying vows to my little brother. You just remember what I told you if he ever gives you any problems. George will say come to him, but he'll go easy on him. I'm definetly the best bet." Hermione was laughing as she pressed a kiss to Charlie's cheek and pulled her into a bear hug. Hermione was finally released from Charlie and kissed Harry on the head. He laughed out loud at her gesture.

"I'd get all mushy on you right now, Hermione, but you've been my sister since we were eleven years old. Always will be. Now it's just like you'll be double my sister, as weird as that sounds. So go get gorgeous so I can walk you down the aisle."

Hermione followed Christine, Ginny, Fleur, and Luna (who had arrived fashionably late) up the stairs. She turned when she heard someone call her name. Ron was hailing her from the bottom of the stairs. Warily, she went back down a few steps to speak with him. He took both her hands in both of his and looked her in the eye.

"Hermione, I know that I have messed up really bad in the past. I'm not here to try to persuade you to stay with me. Even I know that's past. I just want you to know that I'm glad you got some guy like Fred that's going to take care of you always, be good to you because you deserve only the best Hermione. If you're happy, I'm happy. It took me a little while to learn that. I just wanted to let you know that even though I'll always want more, I'll love you in the right way, Hermione. Maybe they'll get this bond thing right and my feelings for you will vanish. I just miss being friends with you more than anything and I want that back.. Can you ever forgive me, for ruining what we had, with what I wanted?"

Hermione felt tears start to roll down her cheeks. She leaned into Ron's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist and he wrapped his arms around her upper back. He started to stroke her hair when her sniffles turned to sobs. She buried them in his shoulder, so nobody else would hear. When shed cried it all out, she leaned off of him and wiped her eyes.

"I can forgive you, Ronald, if none of it ever happens again. I just never thought I'd hear you say those words in my life. I've missed being your friend so much." Ron gave a half smile.

"Well the friendship will survive. If it survived third year, it can survive anything. Now, you don't smell quite as bad as you did when we were on the run but it's close. Go shower, get gorgeous for the cameras, and get ready to say 'I do' to my brother, the luckiest man in the world." She gave him a faint smile as she trudged back up the stairs, sure that Fleur was ready to kill her.

Fleur had went ahead and started on Ginny's hairstyle, the braided updo that clung to the crown of her head. When they saw the teartracks on Hermione's face, they all seemed concerned. Hermione simply smiled at them.

"Ron actually apologized, heartffelt, to me for some things that he has done lately in the past and says that he's accepted that we can never be together. Said he was glad that I got with Fred instead of some loser that didn't deserve me. He even told me that he missed having me as a friend. Everything I've been wanting to hear him say since the final battle." Christine stood and gave her a hug.

Molly came in at that very moment, to see how pressed for time the wedding was going to be. Hermione took a quick shower while Fleur did Molly's hair and started on Christine's hair. Since Hermione's hair was already dry, it would be quick enough to do. Luna had already done her own hair and makeup, and Hermione had to admit that she looked quite stunning. Ginny began helping Fleur with makeup to help things along.

When Hermione took her turn in the seat for her hairstyle, she really couldn't remember what hairstyle she had chosen for her wedding. She and Ginny had been worried sick about Ron and Harry walking into a trap at Nott Mansion the day they had chose. Hermione simply moved her head around as Fleur told her to and decided to trust her. After fifteen minutes or so, Fleur moved to her makeup. For some reason, this took just as long her hair had. When she was done, however, she was perfect. Fleur applied a few freezing charms to her hair and an impervious charm to her makeup.

The dresses from the day before came out and they all helped each other into them. When they were done, Hermione had to admit that they all looked amazing. Luna really did look like a fairytale princess. Ginny looked extremely sophisticated, as did Christine in her skin tight black dress. Molly looked every bit the mother of the groom. Her take on style was a little bit older than what was hip and classy, but she pulled off her look with style.

Hermione, however, couldn't believe it was herself in the mirror. The bone colored dress with the overlay snugged to all her curves. She looked like she had just stepped off a magazine cover. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Hermione disappeared into the bathroom where nobody could see her. Molly opened the door to find George with a small package in his hand.

"My lesser half would like to send this to his lovely bride. Well see you down at the altar."

Molly took the package from him and handed to Hermione when she sneaked back out of the bathroom. Hermione ripped it open to find a long jewelry bow. Flipping it open, she found a silver chain with a silver lion's head hanging from it. It had rubies for eyes on each side of it. Realizing it was a locket, she opened it to find a picture of she and Fred sitting together in the orchard. The opposite side was inscribed ' Only You Have My Heart'. After it was passed around and everyone exclaimed over it, she had Ginny put it on her.

Hermione stood back, surveying the women in front of her.

"I really want to thank each one of you for impacting my life in the way that you have. Molly, you've become my mother. I've always known that I could come to you since I was twelve years old. Christine, you've proven that you can overcome hurdles in your life that should guide you to be a completely different person than who you are right now. Luna, you're the most unique person I know. You have an open mind and you aren't scared about what people will say about either. That makes you one of the bravest people I know. Fleur, you have taught me to not judge people on their appearance. I always got the impression you were a stuck up snob because you're so damn beautiful it hurts, but when I actually gave you a chance, you are one of the sweetest girls I know. Ginny, I don't even know where to start with you. I've felt for years now that we were sisters. I can list our arguments on three fingers, maybe. You've always been there for me, my female rock when I needed to get away from those dumbass boys. Now we really will be sisters. I just want to thank everyone in this room for standing with me today. It means a lot to me."

Everyone's eyes were sparkling. Fleur, surprisingly, was the first to speak.

"You should be an author or something, 'ermione, with the way you use words. BUT there will be no tears tonight."

There was another knock at the door. Molly cracked it open again and saw that it was Harry. He smiled at Molly.

"It's getting close. Molly, you and Christine should probably go find your seats." Molly nodded and opened the door gesturing for Christine to follow her. Each pressed a kiss to Hermione's cheek for good luck.

Harry stepped in the room and was blown away by the people left in it. He eyed Ginny up and down in her dress and it obviously took effort to stop.

"All you ladies look wonderful. Fleur you are truly an artist." Ginny laughed as she put on a last dash on perfume.

"Come out, Hermione. Let him see you compared to us." Hermione stepped out of the bathroom and into a mist of perfume that Ginny had sprayed for her. She was a little sheepish about being put on show like she was, but it was just Harry. It was about to be who knew how many people outside. Harry mouth dropped open.

"Hermione, you look fabulous. When the hell did you start looking like this? I mean, I remember when you had bushy hair, bucked teeth, and no figure. You wore baggy clothes and skirts past your knees. Didn't even know what make up was. Now you look like a damned angel. Fred better be able to take care of you. He better get up to date on his dueling skills because with you around, he's gonnna need em." His statement had the whole room laughing. "Come on, girls, it's time to go."

They alll went down the stairs very carefully in their heels and got lined up with the groomsmen. Hermione could feel her heart fluttering a hundred miles a minute. Then there was a moment. Hermione reached out and clutched Harry's arm.

"I don't think I can do this. Who in their right mind gets married at nineteen unless they have to?" Hermione could feel the panic rolling through her system. Harry reached out and grabbed both her shoulders with his hands as the groomsmen and bridemaids walked up the aisle in time.

"Hermione, stop. You're freaking out. Who's at the end of that aisle?" Hermione looked up and saw Fred in the distance.

"It's Fred." Harry nodded.

"Exactly. The same man who was wild with worry when he finally got into that mansion to save you. He loves you and you love him. You've been married this whole time. Your money's together, you sleep together. You're just making it official. You can trust in Fred. You'll both make mistakes along the way, but that's life and part of what makes it so sweet. Ginny wouldn't mean near as much to me now if I hadn't had to lose her for a year because of the war. You are able to do this because you are goddamned Hermione Granger and you can do anything you set you mind to." Hermione visibly cooled after his speech.

She took deep breaths while Ginny and George took their turn down the aisle. Hermione laced her arm through Harry's and gave him a shaky smile.

"You won't let me fall, will you?" He gave her a wide smile.

"If I did, I know I'd be on the receiving end of your wand. Not something I care to repeat."

The music for the bride started and the crowds all stood for her entrance. Harry looked down at her with a smile on his face.

"It's time 'Mione."

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ok, there's the cliffy y'all wanted. The next one is probably going to be just as long, if not longer! Let me know if I'm doing it justice so far...I think we can go for seven reviews on this one...I mean it is a big finale (well in a way, lol). Lots more chapters to go...so excited! Give me your thoughts!


	53. Chapter 53

A/N- Alrighty guys, hope I did the first half of the wedding justice...and we haven't even truly started the wedding! I'm supposing that there will be more dialogue than description, but don't hold me to anything right now (: so let's strap in and get 'er done!

Disclaimer: Aww Lordy I wish I owned the Harry Potter universe but unfortunately I don't have that much talent or imagination.

Chapter 53

January 13, 1999

"It's time, 'Mione".

Hermione looked down the aisle as Harry started to pull her forward. So many unfamiliar faces were the sea of people who came to watch her marry the love of her life. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine what would bring these people in the dead of winter to her wedding if the didn't have a personal connection to either her or Fred. Hermione saw multiple people she did recognize and for them, she was grateful.

As she reached the last aisle, she heard the clicking of cameras taking she and Harry's picture, instantly bringing back the nostalgia of the lost Gryffindor Colin Creevy. The tear that it brought to her eye threatened to spill over to her cheek but she was just able to blink it away. In that single moment, she promised herself to think of nobody gone, nobody there to not celebrate with her. She knew that all her friends would want her to have a good time and live her life to her fullest. For her lost friends, and for herself, she put a bright smile upon her face and proudly marched up to meet Fred, no longer nervous.

The second that Fred was able to recognize any distinguishing feature of his bride-to-be, his mouth dropped and Hermione found herself hoping that somebody caught it on film. She could see appreciation is his eyes and she had to admit that she returned it. The robes she had chosen for him indeed made him look "dashing".

By the time she was three rows away from where Fred stood with George, Bill, and Charlie, she recognized all the faces that were standing in her honor. Christine and Angelina gave her wide smiles and Molly was already dabbing at her eyes and could be heard muttering to herself "my little Freddy's marrying his Hermione". Hermione even saw Ron shoot her a thumbs up sign when he thought his mum wasn't looking. Neville was sitting in the family section next to Ron and grinning just as wide as the rest of them.

As Hermione and Harry finally made it to Fred's place at the front of the crowd, all the guests took their seats. Harry moved Hermione's veil from her face and gave her a soft smile. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear.

"No matter what happens 'Mione, with Ginny, with Fred, the Weasleys, we'll always have each other. Brother and sister, until the end. Promise me." A single tear slid down her cheek as she nodded her head. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and put her hand in Freds before taking his seat next to Molly in the front row.

When Hermione turned her attention to Fred, she saw the blind adoration in his eyes. And lust. She had to laugh to herself. If only most of these people had seen what she had worn to breakfast...the Ministry official had started to speak.

"We're gathered here today to witness the marriage of two special souls. Not special for what they've done in this world, what they'll become, or even that they have magical blood. Special because they were two lost souls floating in the open sea of life and they found each other when there was no guarantee of the next day. I hope we can all be so lucky. At this time, our couple would like to exchange their own vows. Miss Granger? " Hermione nodded at him and took Fred's hands.

"I know looking back over everything I've had to do and overcome in the last year this will sound silly, but I used to be so jealous of you. You we're always so free to laugh around others, have fun, play pranks get into trouble...everybody loved you. I had two friends, Harry and Ron, who I'm still not sure I'd be friends with to this day if they hadn't locked me in the girls loo with that troll on accident. In fact, I was in the loo crying because I had no friends. I thought myself a complete idiot for hoping you'd ask me to the Yule Ball my fourth year. Instead, you asked Angelina in front of me to show Ron how it was done with that Weasley charm you possess. I said yes to Viktor that evening. Later you told me you liked me then too but didn't ask me and I could only come to one conclusion. It wasn't our time. I've grown up with you, know quite a fair bit about you because we started out as friends. We have something to build a relationship on, not just two kids who fancied each other in school. I'm glad for that. However, I'm also glad I don't have to wait any longer to marry you either. I love you, Freddie."

Molly was in tears. For a moment, Hermione thought she was going to rush up to the front and give her a hug right then but Arthur restrained her. Harry and Ron had the decency to look sheepish under the stony gaze of Professor McGonagall and Ginny. Hagrid could be heard clear in the back blowing his nose. The official turned to Fred and nodded at him, indicating it was his turn. Fred's charm turned on like a lightswitch.

"The first time I ever saw this tiny little witch, I knew she was going to be in Gryffindor. She marched into George and I's compartment, bold as ever, not even scared we were third years and she was a firstie, asking us if we had seen a toad named Trevor. Nobody but a Gryffindor would do that. Boy, was I right. She was so damned smart! kids my age would get ticked at her for correcting them on their homework. We gave her a hard time, me and Georgie, we had to. She was Ronnie's friend. But when she was petrified our fourth year, I was never more scared for her. I remember studying amortentia in potions class and having no idea what mine meant at the time. I smelled peaches, lilac, and old parchment. It wasn't until after you, Harry, Ron went on the run and I took some laundry of Ginny's up to her room that I smelled that smell again. Peaches for your shampoo, lilac is your body wash, and old parchment because everybody who knows Hermione Granger knows she can't ever put a book down. Even potions class knew we were meant for each other. I promise you that nobody will ever love you more than I do right now. I love you Mia."

Hermione felt another tear run down her cheek as she smiled at him. He reached out to brush it off with the pad of his thumb but she reached up and caught his hand and held it to her face. The camera clicks were going off like mad. The Ministry official cleared his throat and began the proceedings.

"Do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take this man before you, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, through sickness or through health, as long as your days may last?" Hermione nodded.

"I do."

"Do you, Frederick Gideon Weasley, take this woman before you, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, through sickness or through health, as long as your days may last?" Fred looked somber as he nodded.

"With all my heart, I do."

The Ministry official smiled. "You may now kiss your bride."

Hermione didn't care if Merlin himself was watching. She had been waiting for this day for since Harry's birthday when Fred had first told her he loved her. She thrust her bouquet into Ginny's hands, much to her surprise, and moved towards Fred. Fred, however, had other plans. He bent to kiss her but lifted her at the waist, swinging her legs out in a circle around him. When George finally made them break the kiss, the official finally called out.

"I'd like you all to meet Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weasley."

Ginny handed her the bouquet back and she and Fred traveled back down the aisle together followed closely by George and Ginny, Bill and Fleur, and Luna and Charlie. George was the first to sweep her off her feet and into a bear hug, his way of welcoming her to the family. He let her go with a promise of embarrassment for Fred in his speech to come, making her giggle. Charlie was next, literally sweeping her off her feet. He smiled and spun her around as well and told her he had plans in regards for his speech as well. Bill was more subdued and simply wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to cheek, telling her how beautiful she was. This did spark a question for Hermione though. She turned to Ginny.

"How many speeches are there going to be? Ginny scrunched up her face.

"A lot. It's Fred. He's humiliated all of them for years. They figure it's time for some payback. It should all be great fun for you, especially since all the Weasley men are wrapped around your finger."

Hermione just groaned to herself and let Molly herd them out into the orchard so they could have their photos taken. Hermione had to concede after an hours worth of posing for their wedding photos, they had better be amazing. She had only really wanted one of she and Fred together where he held her bridal style and one with all the bridesmaids. She let Molly and Ginny have the say in the rest and she would order a copy of whatever they got. Fred did request one of just he and George, which Hermione thought was highly appropriate. These would be wonderful photos to grace their new home with. The photographer, a snotty Frenchman, promised to have them finished within a week or so so the family was bidden to go eat dinner. Fred leaned down to speak in Hermione's ear.

"You look bloody gorgeous, love. I'm the luckiest man in Britiain, getting to marry you." Hermione gave him a soft lingering kiss.

"Mm I disagree, Freddie. I'm the lucky one here, not you. You could have your choice of witches if you wanted to surrender your wand. I could get Ron. Yay me." Fred pushed her up against a tree, softly so as not to hurt her or get her dress dirty.

"Start watching, Mia. All the men out there staring? It's because they want you. You're sexy as hell and now you're all mine." Hermione could feel him pressing his erection into her pelvic bone, so as to prove a point. He leaned in for a simple kiss but she deepened it by opening her mouth and allowing him access. She circled her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair. Before the situation got too out of control, George interrupted the moment and told them the meal was waiting to be served on them being seated.

Exasperated, Fred led Hermione to their seats under the tent where the chairs and tables had been set up. As food was appearing on the tables, Arthur yelled out to the crowd.

"We didn't get the idea to do this for our other kids until now but this is video recorder. Somehow you point it at someone and they talk into it and it will save your picture and voice. We did a little filming (or shall I say fleur) at their hen and stag nights, getting ready for the wedding, then out among yourselves, people who had a message for the couple that won't be giving speeches. We thought this would be fun to watch while we eat, liven us up a bit for the speeches." Everyone cheered the idea on, which seemed like a fine idea to Hermione. Fred looked a little worried, however.

As Arthur fiddled with the tape, she leaned over and asked him.

"What's wrong, Freddie? Do you not want to watch the video now?" He gave her a smile.

"No, love, it's fine. I'm just nervous about what some of my guy friends might put on there thinking it was going to be watched by just us. Guess we'll find out, won't we?" Hermione patted his leg in reassurance.

The video started playing and it started out in the Leaky Cauldron with all the girls and boys taking shots of liquor. Soon enough, however, the girls party departed and the camera picked back up to some random songs that Lavender, Penny, and Luna could be seen dancing to. The video showed them to be quite the favorites at the bar until a certain song came on and Hermione drug all of them out on the dance floor. Laughing to herself, Hermione found it hard not to get up and dance now. Glancing over at Percy, she could almost feel the burn coming off his face from embarrassment. Charlie, on the other hand, looked extremely proud that his wife was dancing with his two sisters and having a damn good time doing it. Fleur must have still been carrying the camera while on when the Astoria situation arose because you couldn't quite tell who it was or tell what they said. The video just showed tiny Hermione tackling her and landing a couple good hits before it was switched off or shoved in a purse.

As the guests are eating, the laughter is catching so when the video shows Fred walking out of Percy and Ron's bathroom in just his underwear waving at the camera, people aren't able to eat from laughter. It's quite apparent Harry is running the camera now, since he's in trying to create havoc with the boys. Fred and George were having a bet on who would go to the wedding named for the cheapest price. Harry finally spoke up behind the camera.

"Hey, didn't Hermione tell you after the Incredible Shrinking Shoes and Percy's reception that if either one of you pranked her wedding, nobody would find your body?" George scoffed.

"I'm not scared of that tiny little girl. I will not be denied my fun." Fred thought for a second and came to the verdict

"You're on your own, mate. You may not be scared of her, but when you talked back to her in the hospital you were sure backing down from her, and she didn't even have her wand on her." George shook his head.

"Never thought I'd see the day when I'd hafta call my own twin a pussy. What about you, Harry, you in?" Harry started laughing.

"Fuck no. Do I look crazy or stupid to you? I've been scared of her since first year. I'm not sure who I'm more scared of, her or Ginny. I'd count Ron out too. He's just as scared as I am. If you're so brave, do it yourself. We all need a good laugh ." George walked off, muttering curses under his breath.

Hermione squinted her eyes and looked at George, who was sharing the same table.

"You and I will be discussing this later." George just smiled.

"Now Hermione, we all know you can't be mad at the one-eared man."

After shooting him a dirty look, she went back to the video while picking at her food and drinking her wine. Neville came on first, rambling about how much Hermione had always helped him in school, she was the best girl for noticing someone when they were invisible, and for being that person for him, he wished her true happiness. Luna followed, saying even though they were quite close-minded, they always treated her well and for being her friends she could never repay them. Hagrid approached and it was apparent he hugged Harry because the camera jostled. Hagrid just couldn't believe that his three favorite students ever were getting married within the year and that he hoped when they started having babies, he'd get to teach them too. Professor McGonagall praised Hermione for her brilliance, praised Fred for his also, if he had just applied himself. She ended her video greet with a "Hope to Merlin I'm retired when all these Weasleys and Potters make it back to Hogwarts. If not I won't have a hair left on my head." That earned sloshed champagne and wine on the tablecloths.

It was more down to school friends now, so people there for Fred. Lee, Dean, and Seamus made jokes about sex at work and not mixing foreplay with potions but wished them congratulations all the same. Angelina wished them other happiness and luck in all their endeavors. Alicia Spinnet reminisced about their quidditch days some, but wished them well and a happy life together. Demelza Robbins, who had played under Harry on the quidditch team, didn't say anything to Hermione but wished Fred a happy life and marriage. Parvati Patil wished them luck and the offer that if either of them ever needed to talk to someone about their problems, she would be free. Harry jumped up to turn it off, but Hermione stopped him when she heard a voice still talking from behind him.

It was Katie Bell, in the bright turquoise dress that she was wearing at this very moment. Harry made to turn it off again and Hermione let him, figuring it was probably for the best since he had taped it. She cast a glance with a shy smile towards Fred and he pulled her in for a kiss. After he broke the kiss, he whispered in her ear.

"I swear, Mia, I have no idea what's on that tape. I haven't even talked to her. You have no worries." She gave him a small smile as the caterers cleared the tables. However, she couldn't help but notice Katie watching them from her seat for the first sign of unrest.

The speeches were supposed to begin with Arthur but Kingsley had requested to go first since he had business come up at the Ministry. He approached the open area with his glass of wine and cast the sonorous spell on himself.

"Fred, Hermione, I couldn't ask to be watching two better people get married. I've known you both for years now and it would be hard to find two more selfless people than you two. If I could, they'd be in this room and probably related to you. It's hard to picture you being old enough to get married Hermione...I recall you yelling at everyone for treating Kreacher so badly, yelling at the twins there for sneaking petrified doxies from the curtains in the drawing room. I remember the Christmas we had at Headquarters that year...best one in a long time. And Fred! I will never forget the yelling you got when you flew out of Hogwarts on those brooms and had to come tell you Mum you started a joke shop with George. I swear even I vowed to destroy every single pair of those extendable ears you made...aww you young kids make me feel old. I couldn't be happier for you though, so I'm going to wish you the best marriage and life you two can possibly come up with. To Fred and Hermione! "

He raised his glass and when everyone had followed suit they all drank. Kingsley approached their table and gave Hermione a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then shook Fred's hand before he left the party and they heard a faint crack of apparition. Arthur took his place to make his speech. The flashes from the camera were flashing just as much now as they were through the Minister's speech.

"I'm speaking for Molly and I when I say we can't even begin to express how happy we are for you two. In a world gone crazy after a war, it seems you two are truly happy. Hermione, even though I've considered you my daughter since you were thirteen years old, probably sooner if I'd been around more, I'd like to officially welcome you to the family. I know you already consider them all your siblings, but by marrying Fred you've gained us all. I hope you can live with that. Fred, I can't even begin to tell you how lucky you are. You couldn't have found a better girl out there for you. She's beautiful, brilliant, and most important, she can put up with you. Hold her close, cherish her. You never know when your last day will be guaranteed."

Everyone drank to his speech and Bill took his spot. His look was all business.

"Well, Hermione, one thing you should know by now is that we Weasleys stick together so I'm letting it be known that if you hurt my brother in any way, I will lock you in a Gringotts vault. IF you're lucky, it might be the same one as Potter. But I wouldn't hold your breath." Fred was starting to stand up and George was getting ready to restrain him. Hermione was just trying to figure out where she had gone wrong with Bill. When Fred broke free from George's grasp, Bill held his hands up in a surrender motion and started laughing.

"Freddie, chill! It's a joke! I'm kidding! Like I would ever do that to Hermione...you, maybe, but never her! Truly, I just want the best of everything for you little brother. You're already started with the best girl. Be true to yourselves and each other." Bill went over to their seats and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and apologized for scaring her. He clapped Fred on the shoulder with a gale of laughter. Christine took his spot.

"I can't really say that I know either of you as well as the rest of the family. Maybe that's what gives me such a good outlook. You two are absolutely perfect together. Hermione I'm already closer to you and Ginny than I am my own sister. I've seen the typical purebred marriage, and I really hope for you and Fred, you never let it come to that. I going to just wish you both lots of life, love, and happiness." Everyone drank to her speech as well, although there were a few raised eyebrows about the purebred marriages. Charlie took over. Hermione could tell he was trying to think of what to say as he tapped his wand on his pant legs.

"Hermione, I remember the first time I ever met you. It was the summer before your fourth year and we were going to the Quidditch World Cup. You were maybe an inch or so shorter than you are now. The Death Eaters attacked and you got separated from Fred, George, and Ginny in the dark. So you're bumbling through the dark woods with tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber and you hear someone shoot the Dark Mark up in the sky. Everyone shoots spells and stunners at you and when it hits a house elf, instead of being scared to death, you take on the Head of Magical Law Enforcement for how he treats his house elf. When someone says your name, that's what I think of first. How absolutely selfless you are. You're an amazing girl. Fred, you're my brother and I'd die for you. I want you to be happy and trust me, happiness lies down her path. But she's also my little sister now, so remember what happens when you mess with family...I love both you two."

Charlie raised his glass and everyone looked at each other trying to decide with their eyes who was going to go next. Finally, Ginny stood and took her spot next.

"Fred, you are honestly the last of all my brothers I ever thought I'd see married. Not because girls don't want you. You're very attractive, well of course you are, you're my brother, you have a great sense of humor, great family, amazing job, the list goes on. It's just that no girl has ever caught your eye. You just never seemed interested. You'd flirt, have your fun, then move on. Never anybody serious. All my other brothers had serious girls at one point of another. So imagine my surprise when your perfect match was my best friend, who's been hanging around with you and your family for years. You can't imagine how much joy it gives me to see you happy when you're with her. Hermione, I'm so happy I get to officially be your sister. I've always looked at you that way, but now there's no way to get out of it. You married my brother and I married yours. Now, like you said at my wedding, get busy and have me some nieces and nephews, dammit!"

The crowd burst into laughter as they tipped back their wine glasses yet again. Ron went ahead and took his spot next knowing the end was drawing near.

"Fred, I can honestly say that aside from turning my teddy bear into a giant spider when I was three and traumatizing me for life, you been a damn good brother. I couldn't think of a better guy to take care of my best friend. I've just recently, as of this morning, halfway earned that title back. All I can say is good luck with her. She's both independent and stubborn as hell. Maybe you can get further with her than tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber did, because we failed miserably. On the flip side though, when she would do that, she figured out Harry could hear the voices in the walls during second year because the Slytherin Monster was a basilisk and things of the like. 'Mione, you're one of my best friends and above everything I just really want you to be happy. I can see it shining in your eyes so I know this is whats right for you. You will make a great wife and mother, you're a selfless person like Charlie said. I think that's a key ingredient when having children. I just sincerely wish the two of you health and happiness."

As Ron was leaving, Harry was taking his spot, leaving George for last since they're twins.

"'Mione, you're my sister. You have been since the troll in first year. You've always had my back since we met, without fail. Through all of it. You got us through to the Sorcerer's Stone, you figured out the basilisk, took time away from your studies to help me train for that ridiculous Triwizard Tournament. Hell, it was even your idea to start up Dumbledore's Army! I honestly think the Wizarding world might owe you more than me. My point though, is that you've always been there for me and you deserve the absolute best. Obviously since that can't be me, it should be somebody that makes you happy. I'm making the promise right now, with everyone as my witness, if the day ever comes when you're not happy, come to me and we'll figure it out. But knowing Fred it won't ever come to that. Fred, I know you love her. I saw the look on your face when you burst into Nott Mansion to save her. I think it goes without saying how much you love her. Just promise me you'll take care of her. Your family and your wife are the only family I have left. Cherish her."

Hermione stood and embraced Harry, knowing how hard it must have been to say some of those things. He held her for a few seconds more while shaking Fred's hand behind her. When Hermione finally released him, Harry gave a small wave to the crowd as George took his spot with a goofy smile.

"I think I'll address my beautiful new sister first this lovely evening. It's high time I thank her, again, for the best gift anyone has ever given me." George paused for effect and he could tell that Hermione was confused. Fred, however, wasn't. "Hermione, I will always owe you for saving my brother's life at the Final Battle. You used that heart of pure gold to throw yourself into the path of a wall to shove him out of the way enough, it didn't kill him. It did, however, gravely injure you. Two months ago, on the family quidditch field, you demonstrated that heart of gold again. I hit a bludger and it went astray, hitting the ground and then into your shoulder, breaking it. Wand arm. The bludger then careened to Ron at the keepers post and knocks him off his broom. Through your own pain, you cast a cushioning charm before he hit the ground and then healed him before we even knew it hit you. Then the whole situation with the Nott Mansion...you and Ginny turning yourselves over for aurors lives. My point, Hermione, is you are the most pure hearted person I've ever met and if there is anything my brother deserves, it's the best. And that is you Hermione. Not that I think you will, but don't break his heart. Fred, you've got an angel on your hands. No matter what you do, don't let her go." Fred stood and hugged his brother tightly for a moment and Hermione there might have been a couple tears shed. George kissed the top of her head as Fred stood up.

"My fine guests, first I would like to thank you for celebrating this wondrous day with Hermione, my family, and I. I can't even begin to express how happy I am to marry the woman of my dreams, but for it to finally be over! I didn't even plan it and I'm stressed. My mother, my sister, two of my sister in laws along with my bride have been instrumental to making this masterpiece before you take place. I suppose I should give my brothers credit with the hands on and setting up business. Bill and Hermione especially on atmospheric charms. If you've enjoyed the cooking, it's hats off to my mother, they're all her recipes. I want to tell everyone about my wife. This girl has already got heart, they've explained that to you. This is also the bravest woman I know. Who else takes on the Lestranges, that's right, both of them, or who knows how many Death Eaters at Nott Mansion for her brother and best friend? I wish I was made of half the stuff this girl is. She spoke in her vows of liking me in her fourth year. The truth was that I was so in love with her I couldn't dare ask her for fear of rejection. I asked Angie to help push Georgie on because he always had the crush on her. The whole time they were gone on the run, fear ate at my stomach but I never said anything. The first glimpse I caught of her in the Room of Requirement right before the final battle felt like coming home. Then she was gone again and the fear was back. The next time I saw her, literally, she was flying through the air and her shoulder hit my midsection. Nobody could get to us right away, we were right in the middle of some pretty heavy wandwork. She couldn't move because her back was broken so we were just trying to cover each other. It was in that moment, I knew she really was an angel and she deserves the absolute best. I'm far from the best, but Im making the vow right now to do my best each and every day from now til forever to be what she deserves. So if we can all raise our glasses to a toast to Hermione Jean Weasley, my most beautiful bride, and all those not here to enjoy this day with us."

When Fred finished speaking, Hermione knew holding back the tears were useless. She simply tried to prevent damage to her makeup. When he sat down, he cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply as the rest of the guests adjourned to the dance. Fleur saw the damage being done to her make up so she and Ginny drug Hermione off to a bathroom to repair the damage.

Fred grabbed hold of Harry's arm as he was walking towards the dance with Ron and Lavender.

"Harry, what did Katie say on that tape? I know Hermione won't forget but I'm hoping she's forgetting momentarily and I can take care of it. I don't want a repeat of George's wedding." Harry heaved a deep sigh before answering.

"She said she understands you have to marry Hermione because she's good for business, being part of the Golden Trio and all, but when you're tired of her being all bookish and boring in the sack to send her an owl and she'll show you the ride of your life again." Fred was floored.

"She really said ride of my life?" Harry nodded.

Fred was angry. He was seeing red, he was so angry. He grabbed hold of Harry and Ron since they were the two closest family members he could see.

"You two are coming with me. To bear witness in case that bitch lies again. I don't care either if you're her brother and don't wanna hear this shit or if you want wanna fuck her and don't get to. You're going to listen, you aren't going to say a word, and you're going to do it because this bitch is going to rip Hermione to shreds. Hermione has no self esteem and no idea how to deal with catty bitches. She's too honest. So you two are coming with me unless we see someone else we're related to along the way."

Fred spotted Katie across the way, talking to Lee Jordan, looking extremely good in her skin tight turquoise dress. He strode purposefully towards her, like a bullet out of a gun. Harry and Ron were following behind at a slightly slower speed, both reluctant to hear what Fred had to say about their friend. When noticing his rapid approach, a lascivious smile spread across her face. He grabbed rough hold of her forearm and drug her off to a secluded corner. Katie jerked her arm back when he turned back to face her.

"What the fuck is your problem, Freddie? Can't even stand to fuck her on your wedding night?"Fred had never felt the urge to hit a woman before but none of them had insulted his wife like that. He turned towards Ron.

"Go get Charlie. Now." For once, Ron obeyed without a word. Harry inched forward so as to grab Fred if he needed to. Fred turned back to Katie.

"Why would you say these things about Hermione? I thought you liked her?" Katie grinned mirthlessly. Charlie and Ron came running up. Ron spun on his heels and muttered to Harry but knew that Fred could hear him.

"I'm going to slow the girls down. They don't need any part of this." Katie continued.

"I can't stand the pretty little perfect Gryffindor Princess. She makes me sick. Just the way everyone talks about her is enough to make a normal person puke. War heroine, Golden Trio, turns herself over to Death Eaters for aurors lives, jumps in front of a wall to save your life. I'm sure she's a virgin too, or she was until you got ahold her, you and that talented tongue. Like I said. She's prim, proper, and perfect and she makes me sick."Charlie cut in.

"Am I here to assume that you're speaking of Hermione? My little sister?" He received a nod from Katie and then looked back towards Fred. "I'm the muscle. Why am I here?" Fred shot him a look and Harry was miming it.

"You're here for me. So I don't fucking kill her." Fred turned his attention back to Katie. "When were you ever under the impression you were ride of my life? I recall both times I was with you being wasted out of my mind. I might have slept with you twice, but I slept with the other girls a lot more than that. I don't know what your end game is, Katie, but I don't want you. I don't love you. There will never be an 'us'. I will not be owling you to set up dates to meet and fuck. The bond doesn't work like that, even if I believed in that kind of thing. My parents actually taught me respect. So quit harassing me and leave Hermione out of it. Be happy with Oliver. I'm done here."

Fred turned and left, leaving Harry and Charlie to follow in his wake.

Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, and Christine were on their way from the house to the dance floor after checking their make up when they were startled by a figure in the darkness. It was Katie Bell walking towards the apparition point. Instantly, Hermione remembered that she needed to find out what her message was.

When Katie realized who she met in the darkness, she veered in their direction. She seemed to realize that Hermione wanted answers. However, Hermione didn't want any drama on her wedding night and she didn't want to fight with Fred. As Katie sidled up to their party, she put on a smile.

"Miss Hermione Granger, or shall I say Weasley now, you need to go put your husband in check. He's already trying to set up dates on when to meet me for favors like back in school. I have to admit, he was quite talented with his tongue but I don't go for married men, even if they are rich. They always end up too attached and then there's the problem with the wife...so I think the easiest solution to all our problems would be for you to either start giving it up or get better at it because whatever you're doing isn't working. Just some girly advice, one to another."

Katie started to turn around and head towards the apparition point again but Christine put her hand out and tentatively touched her arm. As Katie started to turn back towards her, Christine balled up her hand into a fist and fueled it forward into Katie's cheekbone. Hermione heard a crack and she was fairly certain it was a knuckle or two on Christine's hand. One of Christine's rings had cut Katie's cheek open and is was starting to dribble blood. Christine, however, was empowered.

"Nobody talks to or about my sister like that! The apparition point is that way." Christine indicated with her bloody knuckles. "Feel free to leave, whore!"

When Katie had made it halfway to the apparition point, Ginny let out a loud laugh. Before any of them knew what was happening they started walking towards the dance floor again, almost in tears again from laughter. Ginny couldn't keep her comments in any longer.

"My, oh my, Christine, we have done gone and ruined your perfect upbringing. Whatever will your mum and dad say about it?"Christine giggled loudly as they traipsed across the floor to where the red-headed group was accumulating.

"They'd probably disown me for 'muggle dueling'." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the thought of it being called that. She turned to Christine and pulled her into her arms.

"Thanks for sticking up for me. And for breaking some knuckles on my account. We better go find Bill or Molly. I'd heal you myself but my wand is not easily accessible, if you know what I mean." Christine looked confused for a moment.

"That's why my hand still hurts?" All the girls were laughing as they walked into the sea of red heads.

Fred was instantly at Hermione's side, arm around her waist or trailing along the topside of her dress. Hermione couldn't believe their luck but Bill seemed to be the only Weasley missing and they didn't want to have Molly do it unless it was mandatory. Hermione had finally decided to just do it herself if they would block the view of the public while she retrieved her wand, when Bill and Charlie walked up together. Rushing toward them as a group, Fred had no choice to follow. Christine was still too shy around the scarred Weasley to ask his help but Ginny had no problems.

"Bill, can you heal up Christine's hand without Mum knowing? Hermione was going to but her wand is 'inaccessible'."

The three red-headed males formed into a large circle with Bill and Christine side by side. While Bill cleaned the blood off and healed the bones, Charlie questioned her relentlessly.

"What in the bloody hell happened to your hand? How'd you break three knuckles?" Christine just kind of shrugged now, thinking she would meet Charlie's ire. Hermione took a step forward with her finger pointed at him. She rapped him on the chest with said finger three times as she spoke.

"Don't you start in on her, Charles Weasley! I'll have you know we met up with that bitch Katie Bell and she was highly unpleasant with the things she said to me. Your wife called her back as she was about to go and hit her once, that's how hard she hit her. Her ring cut her too. So really, it's my fault her hands broke. I was still in shock that someone I thought I knew could say those things to me so I was a little slow reacting. So don't you yell at her!" Charlie had his hands up in surrender and was backing away from her finger as if she were to start rapping on him again. When Fred calmly pulled her back to him by the hand, Charlie tried to speak.

"Im not mad, I promise. I'm sorry if I sounded that way. I'm proud of her, finally sticking up for something. I just don't like seeing broken bones on my wife. I'm supposed to be her muscle." Hermione begrudgingly nodded. Charlie decided to push his luck. " I see why they say you're scary when you're mad." Hermione's head snapped back to his face and she lunged for him, barely missing his robes. She called out after him.

"The nights still young. I'll get you when you're drunk and not even paying attention. Watch for my wand. I do believe I owe George as well."

Laughing at the banter between his wife and siblings, Fred pulled her arm towards him which effortlessly became a waltz. The music came on and as he always does, he led her across the floor perfectly. Hermione wondered how it was that he and George were so graceful on the dance floor but all the other Weasley men looked like they could spin a circle and be happy. She knew it wasn't their height, they were all within inches of each , she couldn't recall ever seeing Percy dance so she supposed she couldn't judge. All of a sudden a giggle escaped her lips. Fred looked at her like he was caught with food on his face. She was quick to reassure him.

"It's not you, Freddie. I was just wondering about how you and George got so good at dancing and the rest of your brothers are so abysmal but then I thought of how horrible of a dancer I am but you were still able to make me look amazing. It reminded me of when I was little, my dad would have me stand on his feet and he'd dance all the complicated dances I couldn't do. Which at that time was all of them. You making me look good just made me remember, that's all." He kissed her nose.

"It's a good memory then. That's alright. George and I are amazing dancers because one year, I do believe it was our second year, we ponied up the cash and took lessons. During the summer in Ottery St. Catchpole. Nobody ever knew but us. We knew how to get the ladies, even then." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the thought of them in lessons.

"Now tell me what Katie said, Fred. She told me she talked to you along with a bunch of other rubbish but that part I believed." Fred sighed as he twirled her into a second song.

"I made Harry come with me, I wanted a witness. I didn't want her twisting my words. Ron was there too but I made him go get Charlie. Mia, I swear, I've never wanted to hit a woman until tonight. I wanted Charlie there in case I just couldn't hold back, that's how scared I was. Harry told me on the tape she said she understood I married you for our business, you being part of the Golden Trio and all but when you became too boring for me in bed to send her an owl. When I went to go talk to her, with Harry listening, I had to drag her away from Lee. First thing, she assumes I came and got her to screw because I couldn't stand to be with you on our wedding night. That's when I sent Ron for Charlie. I could feel Harry getting pissed behind me, but he was edging up to pull me back if necessary. I asked her why she was saying and doing this, that I thought she liked you. She said you were too perfect. I don't understand how she did it. It's like she took every good thing about you and made it seem wrong. Being a war heroine, turning yourself to the Death Eaters, saving my life at the battle, even being a virgin, which she assumed you weren't anymore due to my oral talents. I told her the two times I had sex with her were far from the ride of my life, that she would never get that chance again. I told her I didn't want her, didn't love her, and there would never be an 'us'. Harry and Charlie heard the whole thing. After I told her to leave us alone, I walked off. What did she say to you?" Hermione felt her breath hitch.

"She told me that I needed to get you in check because you were already trying to set up dates with her. Hot little trysts like when you were back at school. She also made references to how wonderful your oral talents were. As girl advice, I needed to start giving it up or get better at it because you weren't satisfied. That's when Christin hit her. I knew the first part was a lie because the bond magic isn't supposed to even allow that. I know you say you're happy completely but I just still have that little wiggle of doubt, you know?" He pulled her head to his chest and sighed.

"I do, love. I do, indeed." She picked her head up off his chest with a small smile.

"I guess I never realized that you had sex with each of those girls more than once. How many times were you with each, or is that too personal? If you don't want to say, you don't have to. We're well and married, I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much to go even if we weren't married already." Fred started lauging at her rambling.

"Of course I'll tell you. Like I've ever been able to deny you anything. But you're right. It changes nothing in how I feel for you or anything that impacts our life from here on out. I was only with Katie twice, both time drunk, during our seventh year. I was with Parvati four or five times during our seventh year. Demelza, I slept with probably ten or twelve times during my sixth year. The real reason I slept with her was because her hair reminded me of yours. She was also the best lay by far of all of them. I lost my virginity to Alicia Spinnet in my fifth year, although she never knew it. Beings as she wasn't a virgin I wasn't going to let on that I was. We were together eight to ten times throughout the year. I came close to getting that serious with a couple girls while me and Georgie had the shop, but their was too much going on with the war. " Hermione nodded, somewhat surprised at his revelation. But they were right, it meant nothing now. It did, however, bring another question to mind.

"How was I, you know, when we finally... made love?" He stopped mid-dance with her and cupped both her cheeks in his palms.

"Is that what this has been about? You didn't think you were good enough in bed?" She scrunched her face up before deciding what to answer.

"It wasn't at first, it was just morbid curiousity. But listening to how you talk about them, it makes me wonder how I measured up at first and how I measure up now. And no lying, Frederick. It's so easy for you not having to worry about anyone else. You're my first, last, and only. It's more complicated for me, plus I'm a girl and we have feelings and that makes it worse. I know, Ron's schooled me in all the lines why Hermione should not be given the truth. I'm saying you should answer because when Katie started talking her rubbish my very first instinct is that it was all lies. Which is it was, aside from the fact that she did talk to you and you are orally talented. I believed you without even having your side. Now that's loyalty for Hermione Granger." Fred shook his finger at her.

"Ah ah ah, Hermione Weasley. I'm very proud of that. Fine I will tell you and then this conversation will be dropped forever. Deal?" She gave a big nod and had the look about her that if she had a piece of parchment and a quill she would take notes. Fred looked at her calmly. "Mia, you automatically take the cake on the blow jobs. You gave me my very first that day in the backroom at the shop. Regular girls think theyre disgusting. Your blow jobs are out of this world and have been from the start. When we first started having sex, you were amazing, but inexperienced. That's why I took charge and did everything, to show you how. Now, you are the best lover I've ever had. You're so responsive. A single touch in the right spot can make you want me. I've never seen it before. The right look from you makes me hard and aching for you. Trust me when I say, you are the best sex I've ever had." Hermione reached up behind his neck, grasping his hair, and pulled his face down to hers. Their mouths met in a searing kiss that made them both lose track of time. They only stopped when George tapped her on the shoulder.

"I believe I'm entitled to a dance with my sister. Go find someone else to dance with Fred. I do believe there's a line after me as well, so make sure you busy yourself for while." George cut in as neatly as ever. Hermione eyed him warily as he waltzed her around the couples on the floor.

"You realize I'm going to get you for what you said on that video, right?" George let out a loud laugh.

"I seriously doubt that, Hermione. " She gave him a coy smile.

"We'll see who wins in the end."

When the music ended, Ron took George's place and the Bill. Both made Hermione laugh about the Katie situation, Ron calling her a barmy stalker, and Bill likening her to a gold digger, but instead of being after Fred's money, she was after his tongue.

By the time she was handed off to Arthur, her stomach muscles hurt. He apologized for the drama that erupted during the video, which she blew off as nothing now that she talked to Fred and they were on the same page. She actually felt sorry for Katie. Why she couldn't be happy with Oliver, she didn't know. He was a very obsessed young man when it came to quidditch, but very dedicated. He definitely didn't deserve what Katie was doing to him behind his back.

Charlie had to have his spin next, in which he stumbled quite a bit (Hermione assumed due to fire whiskey) but was in good cheer and seemed to have forgotten Hermione's promise to get him for his comment about her being scary. Harry took her for his one promised dance after Charlie, both of them laughing and plotting on how best to get Charlie and George. They had decided that a jelly legs jinx was best for both. Easy enough to cure on your own if you're sober enough to remember the countercurse.

Through the night, Hermione danced with more people than she could remember. Their faces were a blur. She recalled Neville, Lee, Seamus, Dean, Michael Corner, Ernie McMillan, and Terry Boot off the top of her head. When she would have the time, she would search the crowd for Fred and find him dancing with the random female, usually family, but sometimes friends. There were glimpses of him dancing with Fleur and Ginny, Christine and Angie, Parvati and Lavender, Molly, Alicia, and Demelza. Hermione was pleased to find that she wasn't jealous at all when she caught sight of him dancing with his ex-lovers at all.

When Hermione was sure that her back could absolutely take no more dancing, she went off to find a seat and some firewhiskey to take the edge off her pain. Fred instantly appeared by her side, wrapping his arm protectively around her waist.

"So, Mia, have you figured out how to get revenge on my brothers yet?" She chuckled low in her chest.

"I think I've decided the jelly legs jinx for both of them. Especially if I can get them both at the same time so they can't tell the other what I'm planning." Fred whispered in her ear in a conspiratorial manner.

"You just wait here. I'll bring them to you. Get 'em both at the same time, but for the love of Godric, please don't hit me." Hermione couldn't help but full on laugh and make her abdominal muscles hurt all over again. Fred disappeared through the crowd. Hermione took a seat at the table and very carefully removed her wand from her high inner thigh under the table. It was perfect timing to be honest.

Fred arrived back at the table with Bill, George Charlie, Ron, and Harry with a twinkle in his eye that nobody else seemed to notice. They were all standing around the table, pulling off their drinks and laughing loudly. Hermione took a long pull off the glass of firewhiskey in front of her, calmy stood and pointed her wand at George and cast a non-verbal 'locomotor wibbly'. In less than half a second, she had done the same thing to Charlie and they were both on the floor, their firewhiskey spilled down their fronts. Everyone that was in a close range, started laughing at the sight before them.

As they were fumbling for their wands, Hermione couldn't help but laugh even harder as their cursing grew louder. She crouched down just out of their reach and had to rub it in their faces .

"George, this is what you get for thinking you could prank my wedding. Charlie, this is for your smart arse comment about me being scary. I am not scary. I am merely honest."

Both men handed at each other at the same second, as if corroborating a plan in just a seconds time. They simultaneously waved their wands towards their legs, muttering the countercurse, jumped back up to their feet, and rushed Hermione. Before she could stand and catch her balance in her flowing dress, George had hold of her arms so she couldn't escape while Charlie got behind her and grabbed her hips, effectively lifting her up above his head and sitting her on one of his shoulders whilst keeping one hand on her hip to balance her.

Hermione no longer thought the situation funny. In fact, she was terrified. She clutched her arms around Charlie's head, she was sure she was going to fall. When Charlie began to spin circles (probably remembering how it worked on her at Harry and Ginny's wedding), Hermione caved. Silent tears began sliding down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Charlie, I won't ever curse you again. Please put me down. Please!" However, Charlie was laughing too hard to notice that Hermione was completely sincere in her apology due to her fear of heights. Charlie just spun her faster, laughing his booming laugh.

At her next cry to be let down, Fred realized she was crying and terrified. He whipped out his own wand and cast an impedimenta spell, slowing Charlie down long enough for Fred to move forward and pull Hermione off his shoulder and pull her away from the crowd. Everyone was stunned at first, not sure what was going on. Harry made the connection when he saw Fred wipe at Hermione's cheeks. All the others were just figuring out that she was crying. Charlie seemed to question it the loudest.

"What in the bloody hell is Fred's problem? We were just having a good time with 'Mione...we weren't hurting her." Harry leaned towards Charlie to try to keep the conversation quiet but to no avail.

"Charlie, you're probably lucky you had 'Mione on your shoulder or he would have cursed you. We're you listening to what she was saying?" Charlie shook his head.

"I didn't realize she was talking. I didn't hear anything. What was she saying?" Harry was looking sheepish.

"Hermione was begging you to put her down, said she would never curse you two again. Fred cursed you because she was crying." Charlie looked confused.

"Why in the name of Merlin was she crying? And don't tell me this crap that it isn't your place." Harry still looked hesitant. Ron became impatient and broke in.

"Hermione is scared to death of heights. That's why she never flies or plays quidditch with us. She's always the score keeper." Charlie looked stricken, as did George.

Charlie started out in Fred and Hermione's direction, George only a step or two behind. When they were just a few steps away, Fred glanced up from embracing his wife and shot them both dirty looks. Charlie held up his hands as if surrendering. Fred bent down and murmured in her ear and she turned her head to face her two new brothers. Charlie thought to himself how talented Fleur was with makeup because it was only a tiny bit smudged.

"Hermione, love, Georgie and I are sorry for putting you on my shoulder. We didn't know you were scared of heights and we didn't hear you asking to be put down. Are you alright?" Hermione nodded into Fred's chest, her eyes sparkling as if they were still wet. "Can you forgive us?" This earned them a smile. Hermione pulled herself from Fred's arms and gave Charlie a hug first, then George.

"Of course I forgive you. It was my own fault. I shouldn't have jinxed you." Charlie laughed.

"Oh, Hermione, I already told you that us Weasleys can take anything you can dish out. We're made of tough stuff." Hermione openly bristled.

"Are you insinuating I'm not because you made me cry?" Charlie laughed at her and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Never. With all you've been through, you're the toughest of us all. Now you better go back to Fred because I think it's time for you two to leave." Hermione gave him a smile and nodded.

A large party grew around Fred and Hermione at the entrance to the dance floor. Final hugs and kisses were given to the many friends and family that had gathered to celebrate with them. George showed up with their bags that had been packed for the last three days for their two week honeymoon to New York City in America. With him, he brought an old hairbrush that had been set up to be an international port key, leaving in just a few minutes. The happy couple blew their kisses to the crowd behind them and then wrapped their arms around each others waists as the port key whisked them away to begin their married life together.

Ok, guys, this chapter itself was almost 11,000 words and the last chapter was 4,000 so I hope I did their wedding justice! Even though I'm American, I have never been to New York City and I really have no urge to. I live in the middle of nowhere, in farm country, so big cities just aren't my scene. Therefore, I'm only going to do one honeymoon chapter. I hope y'all don't mind...also, my computer broke down on me, so I'm now writing on my phone (you guys can't say I'm not dedicated, lol!), so if it takes me just a hair longer to update, that's why. Hopefully, it won't affect my updating schedule too much though. Since this chapter is sooo long let's go for eight reviews...tell me your thoughts guys! As always, thanks for being rockstar readers!


	54. Chapter 54

A/N- Oh my Lordy, so I hope that the wedding met everyone's approval? At least to some degree? That last chapter took me two and half days to write in between all the craziness of my life. Physical therapy and Dr appts are pretty prominent in my routine now so...anyways, enough whining. This is going to be the only honeymoon chapter, and it's just kind of a filler. Sorry if y'all were expecting more than that!

Disclaimer: I own Christine Weasley but that's it. I only wish I owned Harry Potter so I could be rich and devote my whole day to writing...

Chapter 54

January 21, 1999

The cool air kissed Hermione's bare shoulder as rolled over to snuggle deeper into Fred's chest. A shiver ran down her spine, causing Fred to tighten his hold on her curvy form. Feeling the draft, he pulled the blanket back up around them and pressed a kiss to her temple. Hermione savored the warmth of Fred's arms and the feeling of safety she felt when he held her close.

Hermione had almost drifted off to sleep when she felt Fred's arms tighten on her shoulders again and his hand started to stroke her hair. Hermione sighed quietly, eyes fluttering open. Fred gave her a smile before leaning forward and kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes and smiled.

Leaning forward, she trailed kisses along Fred's jaw, eliciting a small groan of pleasure from him. Hermione reached her hand up out of the blanket and threaded her fingers through his silky copper strands. When she gave them a sharp tug, bringing his face flush with hers, his eyes came open and were burning with desire.

Hermione's lips met his, marveling in how soft they were despite being slightly chapped from the wind the day before. When she opened her mouth, she surrendered control of the kiss to Fred. He gladly dominated her tongue, tasting every inch of her mouth and yielded nothing. When Fred pulled away for air, Hermione found herself breathless with his fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck.

Fred tugged her hair, tipping her head upward, opening her neck to his wandering mouth. He left a wet trail along her jawline and then to her collarbone. Sucking greedily at her pulse point made her core suddenly wet. His fingers were trailing down the front of her, palming her breasts.

When her nipples hardened, he let her hair loose. He captured one of her rosebud tips with his mouth. making her moan his name softly. Hermione's hands clutched the back of his head, holding it to her breast. His tongue teased and flicked the sensitive tips, drawing a deeper moan from her swollen lips.

Hermione reluctantly let go of his head when he released her breast. His mouth once again took possession of hers, her hands roaming over the hard muscles of his back and shoulders. She felt his body shift and gasped into his kiss when his finger brushed the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit.

When Hermione felt Fred work two fingers inside her, she gasped loudly. After he moved his body downward, she felt wet warmth on her folds. Her fingers once again twisted into his hair, guiding him where his tongue felt best.

As his tongue flicked back and forth over her clit, Hermione could feel heat pooling in her womb. When she was on the verge of release, her back arched and head was thrown back in ecstasy. Fred didn't relent, but let the wave of pleasure roll over her and then roll over her again. When her quaking slowed and became random shivers, Fred ran his tongue deep inside her, lapping up the juices he caused to run free from her.

Once her breathing slowed, Hermione realized that Fred had migrated from between her legs back up to her head. She didn't blanch when he kissed her deeply, sharing the taste of her pleasure between them. Wetness appeared once again when Fred nibbled his way down her throat to her pulse point.

Hermione didn't see it coming. Fred had positioned himself between her legs while he was distracting her with her throat and kept her that way as he buried himself to the hilt in her in one swift motion. A cry of pleasure escaped her lips, causing a satisfied smile to break out on Fred's face.

She was becoming very frustrated. Fred wouldn't keep a pace long enough to even think about reaching her peak. Determined to get her way, she used all her strength to try to roll Fred to the side so she could take over the position on top. This plan was in vain, however. Fred easily resisted her efforts with a laugh at her frustrated groan.

Hermione realized she would have to let him have his way. As Fred pumped in and out of her slowly, she removed her hand from his back and put it between her legs, petting herself at a fair speed. She could feel herself getting more excited. When Fred realized that she was masturbating, he grabbed her arm and slid it down to her wrist, pulling her hand back out from in between them. Grasping both hands, he pinned them above her head, leaving her completely at his mercy.

Hermione wanted to cry when Fred slowed down even more. He was still refusing to let her hands go, although now he was suckling her neck again. When he finally saw the actual tears of frustration, Fred relented and sped up his pace, moving at what some would compare to a trot. At this concession, Hermione was grateful. She lifted her hips each time to meet his thrust.

Fred held both her wrists in one hand trailed the other hand down the delicate skin of her inner arm, to her arm pit. His mouth went to her ear, where he began whispering all the dirty things he wanted to do to her. Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist when he began to pound into her. She urged him on, but by this time he didn't need it.

Hermione could feel her desire pooling in her abdomen once again. She begged Fred not to stop, but he had no plans to. After a few moments more of his brutal thrusting, Hermione felt herself reach the breaking point. Her back arched and her head was thrown back in the heat of the moment. She struggled to free her hands from Fred's grasp so she could wrap them around his neck. When he didn't free them, her hips bucked against his and she began moaning his name loudly. She felt him stiffen inside her and he plunged into her five or six more times while moaning her name in her ear.

Fred released her hands once they were both spent, but Hermione still ran them through his sweaty, copper strands. When he summoned the energy to move to the side of her, she shot him a dirty look.

"That was horribly mean, Freddie, not letting me use my hands at all like that. I wanted to do some things for you, you know?" Fred stroked her cheek with a small grin on his face.

"Mia, this was for you. Charlie said it makes everything more intense for the woman if she can't touch you while you're making love. I think by your actions, he was right. And don't worry, there will plenty other opportunities for you to 'do some things' for me. She gave him a pouty look but couldn't manage to keep it on her face long with the look he was giving her. Rolling towards him, she proposed an idea.

"How about we go take a shower together before we go see the Statue of Liberty and Central Park?" Fred nodded appreciatively.

"That sounds amazing."The newlywed couple removed themselves from bed, even though it was noon, and headed for the spacious shower, housed in the bathroom, which also housed a jacuzzi tub, a long counter, and two sinks.

After setting the water temperature and getting in, Fred and Hermione began washing each other. Hermione loved the way that Fred washed her hair, and he loved the way she massaged his shoulders while she washed his back. Once they were both washed and they were simply enjoying the hot water on their skin, Hermione pushed Fred against the wall of the shower. He looked at her, once again, with desire in his eyes and water cascading down his down his body.

Hermione pressed herself against him, kissing him deeply. When she broke the kiss for air, she slid down his body until she was kneeling on the floor of the shower. Pressing kisses up his inner thigh, he closed his eyes and started to breathe heavily.

Opening her mouth as wide as it would go, Hermione sucked one of Fred's balls into her mouth. She rolled it around gently with her tongue and he grasped at the wall in the shower, looking for something to hold onto, but there was nothing. When she released his ball, she ran her tongue along the bottom side if his cock. A groan escaped his lips as she reached the sensitive head.

Hermione took his cock in her mouth, first just the tip of it, teasing him. Then an inch more, and an inch more, the whole while, working it with her tongue. Once Fred's whole member was in her mouth, Hermione was working it in and out, up and down. Fred's hand went to her hair to help guide her, but she waved her wand and his hands were bound to the wall above him.

Groaning at his incapacitation, Fred was now begging for release, but Hermione toyed with him, teasing him with her mouth and hands. When finally she decided to give in to his begging, she took all she could of him in her mouth and swirled him around, while pulling in and out. The remaining length she pumped with her hand, giving it a small squeeze as she did so.

When he finally came deep in her throat, she didn't taste it in her throat but rather felt it. It was warm compared to her mouth, but the slimy salty feel of it was gone in a said his name three times to get his attention before releasing his bonds, not wanting to drop him on the ground. When he finally turned his attention on her, he gave her a smirk.

"Now you know, Mrs. Weasley, I'm going to have to pay you back for that. This morning was a gift to you, not meant to be repaid. " Her lilting laugh filled the bathroom.

"I don't think so. I had already planned on doing that but you wouldn't let me use my hands this morning." He chuckled.

"Well I guess we'll just have to see who wins out in the end, won't we?"

The pair got out of the water and dried off, Fred dressing for the day while Hermione dried and charmed her hair. Once her makeup was applied, she dressed in a simple pair of jeans with a bright blue jumper. The pair headed downstairs to eat a late lunch, but was afraid that their hotel wouldn't serve anything at the moment. After confirming that the hotel restaurant was closed til dinner, Fred and Hermione headed out into the city to sightsee and grab something to eat from street vendors.

The air was cold as they strolled to the nearest bus station, hand in hand, taking in the scenery. America was a sight that Hermione never thought she would get to see, let alone visit on her honeymoon. A few people had stopped she and Fred and commented on their accent, wanting to know where they were from and what life was like in Britain. They hadn't met anyone magical, but she didn't figure they would. Surely the Americans had rules as far as secrecy went, the same as Britain.

Getting off the bus near the Statue of Liberty, Fred grabbed her hand and drug her to a vendor on the side of the road.

"Come on, Mia, I'm starving. Let's get some food." Rolling her eyes, she allowed him to continue to drag her to the closest stand.

They stood there for a moment studying the menu. There were things on the menu that they had never heard of. Fred gave her a questioning look, causing her to shrug. Hermione wrapped her arm around waist.

"Guess we just try whatever sounds good and hope we like it." He gave her a grin and nodded. They stepped forward and Fred began to order.

"I'd like a cheeseburger with everything on it, an order of chili cheese tator tots, and a large Mountain Dew." Hermione stepped forward and started to order. "I would like a chili cheese hot dog, an order of onion rings, and a medium Dr. Pepper."

The man helped them with the money, realizing they were from another country, and fixed their food for them. Fred was instantly impressed with his cheeseburger. Hermione took a tiny bite of it, also finding it delicious. Both tasted Hermione's chili cheese hot dog and found it good as well. Fred wasn't crazy about Hermione's onion rings but she adored the whole meal.

After they were full, they followed the path up to the viewpoint to see the Statue from a distance. Hermione took many pictures, knowing she would want to decorate her new home with some of these amazing photos.

Once they had made their way back down to the main road, they caught the bus again, this time headed for Central Park. While they were on the bus, it started snowing, making Hermione glad that she had worn her hat and scarf.

When they were dropped off, Hermione was astounded at the size and beauty of the Park. It wasn't very crowded, which Hermione attributed to the cold and snowy weather. They strolled, hand in hand, up and down the footpaths, casting warming spells when the chilly air began to get to them.

The pair stopped by a frozen lake where couples were ice skating together, hand in hand. Seeing this brought back memories for Hermione, of skating at the lake near her home with her parents. Suddenly, Hermione had the greatest urge to ice skate. She pulled Fred to a stop.

"Will you skate with me? I haven't done it since I was little, with my parents, but I want to now." Fred looked at her uncertainly .

"I don't know, Mia. I've never ice skated before in my life. Plus we'd have to transfigure our shoes into ice skates. Can you do that without anybody seeing?" Hermione nodded energetically.

She removed her wand from the inside pocket of her coat and transfigured Fred's boots first, then pointed her wand at her own shoes, changing hers as well. When none of the other skaters were watching, she pointed her wand at the frozen lake and uttered an incantation, making sure it was good and frozen.

Within moments of being back on the ice, Hermione was flat on her back. It was obvious she was out of practice. As she crawled back up to her feet,realizing that her pride was a little hurt, she took off a little more cautiously and made a lap around the lake. The more she skated,the better she got, she was doing spins and jumps, just like when she was a child.

Fred still had not made it out on the ice in his skates, and to be honest, he had no urges to . He loved that Hermione was enjoying it, and that she was good at it as well, but he didn't want to break his leg on his honeymoon. He took a few pictures of her in a spin and one of her in the air.

When she finally tired of skating, she dropped on the bench nearest the lake. The snowflakes were sticking in her hair, white on dark. Her cheeks were rosy apples. She transfigured her skates back into shoes, Fred following suit. When they were both ready to walk again, they took off down more footpaths.

When the warming spells were no longer effective, Fred and Hermione headed for a road that lead to a bus stop. When they boarded the bus, Hermione was shaking with cold. Fred wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, trying to keep her warm.

Once they reached the hotel, the newlyweds stripped their clothes and climbed in the shower, letting the hot water run over their flesh. They stayed in the shower until the bathroom was full of steam, then climbed out and dressed for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Fred emerged wearing a pair of khakis and a button up shirt while Hermione wore a pleated skirt that almost hit her knees with a soft sweater with three quarter sleeves. They rode the elevator down and found a seat at a private table.

The pair looked at the menu, scanning the items listed. After ordering wine, Hermione ordered rack of lamb and Fred ordered a porterhouse steak. Points of interest that they still wanted to visit were discussed, along with places they had already been. Their food arrived quickly, which surprised Hermione as the restaurant was busy that night.

The pair sampled each others food, as they had the whole trip so far. They each liked the others choice, but preferred their own food. Once they were finished eating, they declined dessert, but opted to take their bottle of wine with them up to their room.

When Fred realized that he had Hermione in the elevator alone, he pressed her up against the wall and caged her against his chest. She reached up with her one free hand (the other was holding the wine) and twisted it in his hair. Pulling down on it gently, she brought his mouth to hers. Fred knew that he couldn't keep his hands off her once this happened.

He absolutely loved it when she had her hands in his hair. There was no way he would admit that to anybody but her; his brothers, even George, would tease him ruthlessly for that little fact about him. His hands relinquished the cage, one traveling to her face to cup the satiny soft skin of her cheek, the other trailing down her curves, all the way to her knee. It seemed instinct when her leg came up to rest in his hand, her skirt now riding up along her waist.

Hermione's tongue was exploring his mouth and it made him hard. The fact that her skirt was around her waist and she was trying to wrap her leg around his waist wasn't making it easy for him to keep from taking her right there in the very public elevator. He groaned aloud when she nipped his bottom lip and then began to trail kisses along his jaw.

A sharp ding from the elevator went off and the doors opened wide.

An elderly couple waited at their floor to board the elevator as they were vacating. Hermione was bright red and couldn't manage to speak a word to them. Fred was pleasant to them, despite the knowing glances they shot towards them, but he was still glad he managed to right himself and his wife before the doors had completely opened.

They walked hand in hand to their room, Hermione marinating in shame at being caught, Fred simply laughing it off. Once safely inside their room, Fred took the wine from Hermione and poured them both a glass. She downed hers in three gulps. Giving her a wide smile, he refilled it for her and set it on the table by their bed.

Fred shrugged out of his shirt when he felt her small hands on his chest. He reached down and grabbed her hands, bringing them to his mouth, kissing each finger individually. Hermione ran her hands up his chest, up his neck, and back into his hair. She gave him a sultry grin.

"I love your hair, Freddie. I love to have my hands in it, to pull it, to feel how soft it is, to smell how good it smells compared to mine. Yes, I know, I'm not normal. I could never tell anybody but you though." He gave her a guilty grin in return.

"I was just thinking earlier that I love it when you mess with my hair, no matter what you do with it. It's such a turn on. I could never tell anyone but you though. All my brothers, even George, would take the mickey out of me, they'd never stop!" She gave him another smile before she yanked his hair to bring his face down to hers for a kiss.

"You're completely right about that one. They'd never let you live it down. It can be our little secret." The kiss they shared after that was long and passionate, this time Fred in control of the kiss, even though her hands were threaded through his copper strands.

He broke apart from her and pushed her sweater up and over her head. Fred couldn't help but stare at her perfect breasts when he removed her bra, freeing her silken mounds from their cotton prison. While he was busy staring at her perfection, she slithered out of her skirt and panties, now standing before him completely nude.

Fred stepped toward her and wrapped his own hand in her curls and kissed her. She allowed him entrance, his tongue exploring her mouth for an undetermined amount of time. Using his fist in her curls, his tongue traced the contours of her jaw, her ear, her neck. When he reached her pulse point, he nibbled it gently, knowing it never failed to turn her on.

Fred enjoyed the moans he drew from her. She was the most responsive woman he had ever been with, the best lay he had ever had. There wasn't a thing he didn't enjoy doing with her.

He had thrown her on the bed and attacked her rosy nipples. At first, he flicked them with his tongue and sucked them gently. His thumb and forefinger teased the one not in his mouth. Both her hands wound in his hair and her moans were clearly his name. As she tugged hard on his hair, he sucked harder on her nipple. When he released it from his mouth, he blew air on it, the cold making it stand up even more. He gave the same treatment to the other side, getting the same reaction from his wife.

Fred didn't need to go down on his wife to make sure she was properly lubricated. He could see little dribbles reflecting when the light hit it just right. It made him want to bury his face between her legs and stick his tongue deep inside her, taste the sweet juices that only she could make. But for what he wanted to do, she would need her own juices, not his saliva.

He reached down and rubbed his forefinger on her clit, back and forth, for a minute or two. Impatient, she reached down with own fingers, prepared to use them inside herself. Fred grabbed her hand before she could carry out her plan. She huffed in anger, which only caused him to smile.

"Just be patient, love. I need all your natural juices for what I have planned." She rolled her eyes but let it go, trusting him completely.

When her clit had become enlarged and extra sensitive, Hermione was clutching at the sheets as she neared her orgasm. Fred watched her face as she peaked. Back arched, head thrown back, hands in fists,clutching the sheets, eyes squeezed shut tighyly.

While Hermione recovered, Fred shimmied out of his pants and boxers. Even though she was still panting, Fred didn't want her to recover all the way.

"Roll over, Mia." She looked at him like he was mad.

"What? What do you mean?" Fred started to help her by grabbing her by the hips and turning her over.

"Roll over, Mia. Just roll over. You'll like it, I promise." Hermione helped him turn her over and when he put a hand over her stomach and pulled upward, she understood that he wanted her in a doggie style position.

Positioning himself behind her, Fred entered her in one sure stroke that left her gasping for air. This gave him a certain amount of pleasure that he could pleasure his wife to the point of gasping for air.

He knew that this kind of thing was just a small portion of the things that she liked. Going at a steady pace, he moved in and out of her She threw her head back in obvious pleasure. Fred snatched a handfull of her curls, forcing her to knees, thought that it felt amazing, her hands in his hair, their position for lovemaking, the feel of her velvety walls clenching down on his cock as she once again reached an orgasm. When she was groaning his name, nobody elses, his name, it fueled his own orgasm. He thrust three more times, deep and hard, inside her, then shuddered as he exploded deep within her.

Fred didn't pull out of her, instead they both lay on the bed together and talked a little of what they liked in bed, what they hated, and before they realized it, Fred's member had shrunk enough to pull out. Fred eased out of Hermione, not wanting to cause her pain.

Hermione was yawning already, as was Fred, and he was not opposed to calling it an early night. Fred climbed on the bed behind Hermione, putting her head on his arm so she could use it as a pillow and threw an arm around her waist protectively. She snuggled into his chest, grateful for the warmth. Fred pulled the blanket up over them, making sure his heat was wrapped around his wife. Her eyes were already closed, her face with a smile on it. He knew marriage wouldn't always be this easy but if it was close, they wouldn't have any ploblems.

Ok, guys, that was the one and only honey moon chapter...hope you liked it! Anyways you know what to do...lemme know what you think! Five or six reviews and I'll give ya the next chapter. Be patient, I'm typing these chapters on my phone (: love you guys!


	55. Chapter 55

A/N- Well I hope the honeymoon was good enough for everyone...I tried to put lots of sex in there and a little bit of sightseeing. Ron's the only one left to get hitched now! Now we're back to regular life (: Hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 55

January 28, 1999

Hermione had had fun on her honeymoon with Fred. It had been beautiful and enlightening. Hermione had learned a lot about the American culture and their way of life. She had begun to miss her family, however, and couldn't wait to get back home.

Their port key was leaving early, which Hermione was ready for the night before. Fred was antsy to leave as well. Hermione knew he missed George, this being the longest they had ever been apart in their lives. The night before Fred had begun worrying about the shop, how it was faring with Fred and Hermione both missing, how low on product George was running, just the general welfare of the store. Hermione tried to calm his nerves by assuring him that first thing he could go to the shop and start helping out. That helped some, along with her throwing him on the bed, binding his hands and feet to the headboard and riding him for over an hour. She had grown quite talented over the months at making him squirm and pant for her but last night was a new record for her. He moaned her name the first time while she was sucking his neck and then again when she was licking along his waist line.

Fred moaned and begged the whole time she rode him, but she took no pity on him. She knew he needed his mind off things. When she felt him harden, Hermione knew he was very close. Slamming down on him, Hermione leaned over and whispered a comment in Fred's ear, which made his eyes bulge and his cock explode in her. She vanished his binding and he sat up, pushing her down on her back, then pushing his cock as deep in her as possible, held it there for awhile. Fred had eventually pulled out, and they had eventually fallen asleep both in fantastic moods. Who knew a simple reminder they could be making a baby could make them sleep so soundly?

The pair had just finished cramming everything back in their suitcases and had just checked out of their lovely hotel room. Hermione would miss it, or rather the memories made there. Their port key was set to leave in six minutes from the pool house out back. They were early by a minute or two, which suited Hermione just fine. They grasped their bags in one hand, linked their other arms and grabbed the pool net in the hands that were linked. When the familiar spinning/jerking occured, Hermione couldn't help but be excited to see the Burrow again.

Hermione was thrown to the ground when she landed from the port key . Somehow, Fred was able to stay on his feet, so he let out a low chuckle at the sight of Hermione sprawled on the ground. He held out his hand for her, and helped her up, even though she was scowling at him for laughing at her. Fred gathered all their bags after helping her and started for the Burrow.

It appeared to be early afternoon as they strolled across the yard of the Burrow. Hermione went in first so she could hold the door for Fred. Hermione was bombarded with hugs from Molly and Ginny, the only two people who were there at the time. Fred didn't bother to stop, just went straight up to their room with their bags. Hermione heard a massive thump and then Fred was thundering down the stairs again. He allowed his mother to hug him and press a kiss to his cheek, even gave Ginny a hug before he stepped into the fireplace before he called out Weasley's Wizards Wheezes, then disappearing into green flames.

Hermione agreed to a cup to tea before unpacking. Merlin, how she had missed tea while she was in America. In the short time she had taken in the loo, Molly had written out notes to the whole family and asked them to dinner to welcome Fred and Hermione home. Hermione had to admit that she was excited to see everyone. It felt like forever since she had seen little Teddy.

The three women sat around the table drinking tea and eating biscuits for over an hour, catching Hermione up on the family gossip, and Hermione hitting the high points of she and Fred's trip to New York. The two women laughed at the Americans obsession with the English accent, unaware that they were even considered to have an accent. Hermione promised to get out all the pictures that they took at dinner when the whole family was there, as they had visited many many places.

Eventually, Hermione excused herself to go start unpacking, as Fred was anxious about getting to the shop. Ginny volunteered to come up and help her, Molly urging them to bring down the wash and she would start it.

Ginny followed her up the stairs and into her old room, throwing herself onto her old bed with a huff. Hermione looked up at her from digging in her toiletry bag.

"What's wrong, Gin? I know you didn't come up here to help me unpack." Ginny raked her finger through her hair and looked at Hermione with worried eyes.

"'Mione, me and Harry have been trying to get pregnant since our wedding. Five months. I think there's something wrong with me. Harry isn't going to love me like he does now once he realizes I can't have children." Hermione put her arms around Ginny as she started to break down and cry.

"Gin, there's no reason to cry. Harry would never stop loving you, for one. That man would die for you. Two, I truly think you're just putting too much thought into getting pregnant. Quit focusing on having babies and just let the sex feel good and I bet you'll be pregnant before you know it. Three, if some tiny freak chance says you two can't have children, maybe it's his sperm that aren't effective, not you. He's had the cruciatus curse used on him enough times, it could just as easily be him. Honestly, though, I think you just want it so badly, you're trying too hard. Just quit trying and have fun with sex again." Ginny sniffled in her arms for a moment and then sat up and wiped her eyes.

"You're right. We both want it so badly and I think we're both scared that we can't but we just haven't talked about it because then it makes the situation real. I think I'm going to talk to him about it all tonight. I know I feel better about it...Thanks Hermione. You are seriously the best sister ever." Hermione gave her another hug and brushed the hair off her face.

"I'm glad you feel better, Gin. You want to help me move us into Wheat Ridge in the next week? You do kinda owe me since I helped move you and Harry into Grimmauld Place." Ginny rolled her eyes before she pretended to debate.

"I think I can work that into my super busy schedule. Besides, if I help you move, that means I get to help you decorate too! You know I love decorating!" Hermione laughed as they started going through the clothes, separating clean clothes from the dirty.

"Of course I need you to help decorate, Ginny. I'm terrible at it." Hermione started half listening when Ginny began making lists about things they would need to go shopping for.

After ten minutes or so had passed, Hermione had all their bags unpacked. The clean clothes were put away, their gifts for the family were left out on the bed, the dirty clothes in the hamper. Ginny looked at Hermione in a quiet but quizzical manner.

"Have you and Fred started trying yet? To get pregnant?" Hermione gave her a smile.

"We'll my potion ended on the tenth and we haven't done anything to prevent pregnancy since then. And we've been fucking like little bunny rabbits . We may end up pregnant together yet." Ginny gave her a small smile before she nodded.

"Do you know how awesome that would be, 'Mione? Having our baby on almost the same day , we could get fat together, afterwards we can egg each other to lose our baby fat together, shop together for everything we'll ever need together." Hermione gathered the clothes that were in the bottom of the of the hamper as she imagined she and Ginny large and pregnant together.

"Oh, I admit, Gin, it would be amazing to be pregnant together. But do you think the rest of the family could handle us pregnant together? Merlin, we'd be the two biggest bitches ever." Ginny gave a simple smirk.

"Who cares about them? We're the only ones that matter. Well I suppose Harry and Fred as well. But they put up with our bitchy selves on a daily basis, so they won't care." They both laughed as they meandered down the stairs, Molly meeting them at the bottom of the staircase for the wash.

With the last of their time before they would need to start dinner, Molly got out the wedding photos that the photographer had taken and sent over, waiting for an order to be placed. Hermione had to admit that for as big of a nitpick as he was, the pictures truly were amazing. She instantly want an 8X10 of every picture but that wasn't feasible and would get boring in her house if she had the same size picture of every shot.

Since Ginny would be helping her decorate, she decided to ask her for help.

"Gin, I love all these pictures and could easily be happy getting an 8X10 of all of them. Since you're going to help me decorate the house, maybe you could help me decide what sizes to get for the house." Ginny looked floored that Hermione had asked her advice at all.

"Sure, 'Mione, no problem. Do you know any for sure that you want big?" Hermione thought about it for a moment before she decided.

"The one of the whole family, the one of Fred and I, Fred and George together, you and I together, and then the whole wedding party. I'd like copies of all of them but they don't have to be large. Just let me know after you see the inside again if you think they'll fit. I also want a few from our honeymoon in there as well."

"We can start moving and decorating this coming week. Then we can put your order in." Molly chimed in.

"I don't mind helping you girls move in either. It would be fun to set up a house from scratch ." Hermione gave her a hug, accepting her offer.

"Thank you so much. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate this."

Once the wedding pictures were cleared away, Molly, Ginny, and Hermione started cooking dinner, the whole family confirming their presence at the Burrow. Andie and Teddy were the first to arrive, followed closely by Fleur. Teddy was crawling now and pulling up on furniture, this giving him the means to get into everything. Fleur took him in the living room to play with some of the toys he received for Christmas, giving Andie a much-needed break.

Christine came shortly after Fleur, almost tripping over her own feet to give Hermione a hug.

"'Mione, I've missed you so much! I know it's only been two weeks, but it's felt like a lot longer than that. Ginny and I were going spare without you." Hermione gave the girl a hug, happy to see her fitting in so well with the crazy bunch of Weasleys.

"I missed you too, Christine. I'm telling you, you would have loved New York. One of these days, we need to have a huge family vacation. I think that would be a wonderful idea."

Percy and Penny had just came through the floo and caught the last part of her comment. Percy shot her a dirty look before speaking.

"It might be a wonderful idea for you, Hermione, because the twins don't prank you. But imagine being on a trip somewhere and having them prank you constantly. Horrid is how I would describe it, not wonderful. I am, however, glad you're back. Now George will quit whining about Fred being gone." Hermione gave a small laugh.

"Thanks, Percy, for actually being happy to see me." Percy started to stutter and backtrack but Hermione held her hands up, letting him off the hook. "I know what you meant, Percy. The last couple days Fred was just as bad."

At that moment, Angelina came through the floo with Lavender right behind her. They set to work setting the table since Christine had started cooking and Fleur was still watching Teddy. Hermione listened to the family gossip happily. She learned through Andromeda that Draco Malfoy had petitioned his eventual union with Astoria Greengrass due to the use of a love potion. She had it admitted it's use to him and if it could be proven, he would be able to get a new match, Astoria would have her wand snapped, and he would be due part of her fortune. After hearing all this, Hermione knew she hadn't heard the last from Draco Malfoy. At least she hoped she hadnt. He deserved to be happy, and she was certain that her testimony would be instrumental in proving Astoria's guilt.

The topic moved to a different subject, Luna and Neville wedding, when the crack of apparition was heard through the house. A minute later Arthur, Charlie, Ron, and Harry strolled through the kitchen door, letting a cold breeze in with them. All four greeted Hermione with a kiss on the cheek, except Harry, who also wrapped her in a hug and whirled her around. As he was spinning her around, Bill flooed in, interrupting their childish play. He also pressed a kiss to her cheek, welcoming her back home.

Conversation at the table was getting loud and rowdy when the floo activated again, this time the twins stepping through. The women have Fred hugs, welcoming him back, the men clapping him on the back or throwing an arm around his shoulders, making low comments about the honeymoon sex that they didn't think Hermione heard.

While Bill was having a conversation with Fred about the things they saw in New York, Hermione felt a hand around her waist, pulling her towards the living room. Hermione caught Christine's eye, silently asking her to watch the gravy she was making. Christine smiled and nodded, and shooed Hermione off towards the living room.

Hermione let Charlie pull her into the living room, away from the crowd and the noise. She looked at him questioningly, and started to relax into the heat of the room. He looked at her slightly worried.

"Are you cold, Hermione?"She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I'm always cold. I don't think I'm ever warm unless I'm by the fire." He looked at her quizzically.

"That's not normal, Hermione. But I brought you in here to apologize to you."Hermione was confused.

"For what? You haven't done anything to me." He took her cold hands in his large warm ones.

"I'm talking about at your wedding, when you were on my shoulder. I was drunk and didn't know you were crying or talking. My wife chewed my ass out. I'm sorry I scared you, I never realized you were scared of heights. Please say you'll forgive me?" Hermione gave him a smile.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have cursed you. I should watch what I get myself into."Charlie smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.

"I guarantee you, I can handle anything you get yourself into. I just wanted you to know how bad I felt for making you cry. I'm supposed to protect you, not make you cry." Hermione smiled at him again.

"It's fine, Charlie, I promise. Now let's go eat."

They went back into the kitchen, Charlie taking his seat at the table, Hermione helping Molly, Ginny, and Christine carry the food to the table. As the family started into the food, Fred and Hermione told stories of New York and the sights they saw, the differences in culture.

The dinner was a long one. Pictures were passed around the table, everyone laughing at the ones Fred took, exclaiming in wonder at the ones Hermione had taken. By the time dinner was winding down, Hermione asked Fred and George about the condition of the shop. George gave her a wry look before answering.

"You two are never allowed to leave for so long again. Ever." Hermione laughed.

"Georgie can't handle the shop without big brother Freddie and Hermione?" If Fred hadn't been between the two of them, George might have tackled her to the ground and tickled her to death. Since the rest of the family was laughing as hard as Hermione, she had hopes that somebody would have rescued her from his wrath.

After George had forgotten her jab at him, she figured it was safe to get up and clear the table. Once the dishes were done, Hermione made quick plans with Ginny and Christine (who volunteered), to start moving into Wheat Ridge and announced to the rest of the family that she was exhausted and heading to bed.

Hermione trudged up the stairs to her room, more tired than she should be. It felt good to be back in her room, in her bed. She stepped into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth and wash her face. When she walked back into her room to look for a pair of warm pajamas, Fred was sitting on the side of the bed, already waiting for her. She shot him a confused look.

"I thought you'd be spending the night with George or something. I know that you two are twins and I took you away for a long time. I expected you two to want to spend lots of time together and catch up." Fred stood and wrapped his arms around her curvy frame.

"Mia, I did miss George. Like crazy. But you should know by now that I can't sleep if I don't have you in my arms. George is my brother, my other half. Your my love, my soul mate, my everything. I have to be with you." Hermione knew that she loved Fred more than life itself. How could she have had cold feet for a brief moment or two before walking down the aisle to meet this man?

Smoothing her hair down her back, Fred leaned down and kissed his wife with all the passion he could muster. He still faintly tasted of his mother's strawberry rhubarb pie, and she savored the way his kisses made her feel. Running her hands along his chest, she let herself melt into him. He felt her become putty against him.

As she allowed him to explore her mouth, he ran his fingers through her hair, loving its silken length. Fred scooped her up in his arms, bridal style, not breaking the kiss. He laid her gently on the bed, where she slid her hands from his chest up to cup his face. As she ran her fingers through his hair, he began to nibble his way down her neck, spending extra time at her pulse point.

Hermione sat up long enough to slide out of her panties and whip off her lace bra. Fred laid her back down and captured her pulse point in his mouth again. His warm hands palmed her breasts while his teeth nibbled at her collarbone and along her shoulder. When his mouth trailed to her breasts, lapping at her nipples, she buried her hands in his hair and gave it a tug to show her pleasure.

Fred moved his hand downward, softly leaving a trail down her abdomen to her womanly folds. Hermione's breathing quickened when she felt his touch; a sharp intake of air occurred when he nudged her sensitive pleasure button; a quiet moan escaped her perfect lips when two of his fingers found their way inside her.

Fred couldn't hold back the urge to taste her. He didn't need to, she was plenty wet already, but he wanted to taste the sweet honey that was purely Hermione. Fred had always considered himself somewhat of an odd duck. When Bill and Charlie had talked about having sex with their girlfriends, they had always said they performed oral sex first. Fred had done this for every girl he had been with, thinking it was normal. Since Hermione had been his first virgin, all those girls hadn't been surprised but all were pleased. Fred, however, had found little pleasure in the act. None of the girls tasted very good, and none had reciprocated.

Hermione, however, had a sweet taste that Fred couldn't get enough of. She was the first girl that Fred actually liked giving oral sex to, and she had been the first girl to ever give Fred a blow job. He would be the first to say that he got lucky in the sex department. Luckier than George and Bill by far.

He lowered his mouth to her slit, letting his tongue roam for a few moments until he found her pleasure button. As much as he hated to do it, he removed his fingers and wrapped his hands around her hips so he could hold her exactly where he wanted her. Hermione cried out at the loss of him filling her, but moaned at the thought of him being in control of her pleasure. She reached down and twisted her fingers into his hair, guiding his mouth where it felt best. Teasing her with short flicks and then long strokes, Hermione couldn't get anywhere close to an orgasm.

Irritated beyond all measure, she let go of Fred's hair and started to sit up. Fred looked up at her, startled and confused.

"Mia, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" She huffed and flipped her hair out of her face, suddenly feeling like a spoiled child.

"I was just being a brat, I'm sorry Freddie. It's just that particular combination wasn't working. Since I was such a brat, how about I make it up to you?" Hermione gave him a pensive grin. He leaned forward and ran his fingers through her hair again.

"No. You took my mind off Georgie and the shop last night. If you want to make it up to me for being a brat, let me have my way, and let me make love to my wife the way I want. Sound like a deal?" She smiled softly at him and brushed her hand down his cheek before nodding at him. He bent down and nibbled at her pulse point again before sucking at it gently. A small sigh escaped her lips, marking that she was ready.

Fred positioned himself between her legs and worked his cock inside her slowly. He noticed that she had sucked her bottom lip inside her mouth and was biting it. There was no lying to himself, he was glad that she had been a virgin. The fact that no other man had experienced her turned him on. He felt like a complete hypocrite for thinking that, but it was true. Some days, he swore she still was a virgin she was so tight. He had to concentrate very hard sometimes to make sure she got her pleasure before he did.

He worked his way in and out of her, savoring the feel of her tight heat around him. Her hands were roaming his back and squeezing his arse. Smooth legs traveled the length of his long ones, finally settling loosely around his hips. Fred decided to change position, putting himself in a seated position on the bed. Setting Hermione a top him in his lap, he wrapped her soft legs around his hips again.

Grasping her hips in his hands, he lifted her up and down on his cock. Surely there would be bruises on her creamy skin tomorrow, but it felt too good to stop now. Her arms snaked around his neck and she leaned into him. He nipped at her pulse point again and he felt her water on top of him; it almost felt like it was pooling between them. When he caught the hard tip of her breast in his mouth as he was thrusting into her, she threaded her hands in the hair at the back of his neck and held them there. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy.

When her knees tightened around his hips, Fred knew Hermione was close to climax. He started thrusting into her harder yet, almost coming undone at the moans escaping her mouth as she started to climax. Her hand flew down to her clit, which she rubbed vigorously as he pumped into her with wild abandon. Her climax rocked her whole body. Fred couldn't tell which had affected her more: the climax from him on her g-spot, or the climax from herself on her clit. He had a sneaking suspicion it was the combination of the two. He finally allowed himself the sweet release he'd been holding back, spilling his seed deep within her. Fred had the errant thought of hoping this time he got her pregnant.

After picking her head up once they had caught their breath, Hermione look ed at him shame-faced.

"I'm so sorry, Freddie. Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?" Fred gave her a sharp look before looking at her confused.

" I don't understand, Mia. What am I forgiving you for?" She buried her face in her hands, embarrassed. Fred pulled her face away from her hands, so instead, she laid it on his chest.

"For getting too excited and using my were doing great and I would have came. It was-" Fred smoothed her hair down her back as he cut her off mid-sentence.

"Mia, Sweetie, don't apologize for that. That was one of the hottest things I've seen a girl do, ever. If I ever don't want you to do that for some reason, I'll tell you. Otherwise, I think its hot as fuck. it's nice to know that you can get yourself off if you ever absolutely had too." She gave him a watery smile and reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes.

Fred uttered the cleansing spells and Hermione pulled on her warm night clothes even though Fred was going to be there. She couldn't seem to warm up. With heavy eyes, she crawled under the blankets next to him, using the crook of his shoulder as a pillow, and draping herself most of the way on top of Fred. His arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly to him. Both dropped off to sleep, dreaming very different things. Fred certainly wished to every god, that she was pregnant with their baby. When Fred finally dropped off with a smile on his face, the thought or a little Hermione danced in his head.

Hope you all liked this chapter! Input, must get input! Tell me what y'all think and shoot me a review...you know I love your thoughts on these matters! Thanks, as always, for being the best readers a girl could ask for ((: Love, Me!


	56. Chapter 56

A/N- Hoping you guys liked the returning home chapter...I realize I've been making the chapters extremely smutty, but it's kind of hard for Hermione to get pregnant without any hankypanky going on, haha! This is a fairly important chapter as well, so I'll try to make it exciting. Yes, there will probably be smut, hope you all don't mind (: But for now, it's on with the show...Enjoy, yall!

Chapter 56

February 6, 1999

Hermione had just finished making eggs and toast in her very own kitchen for Fred. He seemed delighted that she was willing to make him breakfast in the morning, now that they had moved into their very own home and he could no longer depend on his mother for all his meals. Fred would go so far as to say that Hermione's meals were as good as his mothers.

Fred was happy to finally be all the way moved into their home. Hermione had spent a small fortune getting the house ready to move into, he had a feeling at the urging of Ginny and his mum, but it made her happy and he had to admit the house was comfortable and it was a place he could see himself living for years. The master bedroom was his favorite, decorated in soft blues and pictures of he and Hermione at their wedding. The bed was a king sized bed, one where he and his wife could sprawl out in any direction and wrap around each other and still have plenty of room to move if needed.

When he had finished eating his breakfast, Hermione had done the dishes up quickly so they wouldn't be waiting there for them when they got home that evening. Fred walked up behind her and started massaging her shoulders, causing her to lean back into him. The smell of peaches overtook his nose as her hair was down that day. He inhaled deeply, taking it in.

An owl was pecking at the window in front of her, a note tied to his leg. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly Errol, who didn't get many deliveries anymore. Molly had finally broken down and bought a new barn owl, Patches to make her more important mail deliveries. Hermione had also bought she and Fred and owl as well, but had purchased a tawny owl and named her Athena.

Fred wrestled the window open and took the note, Errol taking the chance to take off and fly directly home. The note was addressed to both Fred and Hermione, meaning it was from his mum. Rolling it open and seeing the handwriting, he knew he was right.

Fred & Hermione

As you know, today's is your father's birthday. Would you like to come to supper at the Burrow? I know this is your first night in your home, so if you don't want to come we'll understand. Please send back a response with Error if the answer is no.

Mum

Fred laughed and kissed the side of Hermione's head.

"Well I guess Errol made the decision for us and flew off with no answer, so I suppose we're going to Dad's birthday dinner." Hermione smiled as she dried her hands off on a tea towel.

"We would have gone even if he had waited around. It's your dad's birthday. Have you gotten him a gift?" Fred looked at her somewhat sheepishly.

"Actually, Mia, I was wondering if you would get him the gift from us. He loves muggle things and you're the muggle expert. I'm sure Ginny would go with you, I doubt she's had time to shop for him either." Hermione shot him a dirty look but agreed to it, since it meant spending a day with Ginny.

Hermione scribbled out a note to Ginny and sent it with Athena to Grimmauld Place and then watched Fred get ready to head to the shop for the rest of the day. Their lovemaking the night before had been intense. Fred had tied Hermione down and then teased her for hours. Hermione had begged, raged, cried, and begged again before Fred finally gave in to her and when his tongue and brought her to orgasm, she had been a puddle of useless flesh on the bed. She had vowed revenge. The actual lovemaking was just as good, making Hermione completely useless the rest of the night. She would wreak her revenge today somehow.

Hermione watched Fred get ready for work with a forlorn expression. When he sat up from tying his shoes, he smiled at her. She burst into tears and rushed into his arms. Fred cupped her cheeks and pulled her back to search her face with a concerned look gracing his features.

"Mia, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Hermione tries to wipe the tears from her face but Fred isn't letting her brush it off without giving an answer. She took a deep hitching breath.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. All of a sudden I just realized you were going to be gone all day and I wouldn't get to see you and I just missed you so much. It's like I didn't remember Id see you tonight." Fred ran his fingers through her hair while she continued to wipe her eyes.

"It's just been a long year, a stressful year, for all of us. If you get tired of being with Ginny, you can come see me at the shop whenever you want." Hermione nodded, now completely at ease. She leaned forward and gave him a lingering kiss.

"Thank you, Freddie, for being so good to me. I know I don't always deserve it, but you do it all the time anyways. Thank you."

Before he could disagree with her, tell her she deserved better than he could offer, she turned on her heel and flounce out of the room. Footsteps were heard going up the stairs, and after a minute he heard the shower head turn on. As he was throwing a cloak on, another pecking at the window started. Athena was back with Ginny's answer. He fed Athena and threw the note on the table for Hermione to find when she got out of the shower. Walking into the fireplace, he disappeared in the green flames as he headed to shop to work with his twin for the day.

Hermione felt a lot better once she crawled out of the shower. She now blamed her mini-breakdown on the stress of the wedding, then the honeymoon, then the stress of moving into a new home. A lot of new things and new emotions, all at once. She was so glad that Fred was understanding and not scared of females in tears. Honestly, she couldn't say that any of the Weasley men were. She remembered a time when Harry was, but she was fairly certain that he had outgrown that.

Hermione dressed herself for muggle London, knowing that Arthur absolutely adored all things muggle. One would think he would be simple to shop for, but this is indeed not the case. Arthur was a sucker for things for cars, one of the few things Hermione knew absolutely nothing about. If she couldn't find him anything to do with muggle cars, maybe Ginny would have some ideas. Ginny! Hermione rushed down the stairs to see a note thrown lazily on the table and Athena crunching on her owl treats at her stand. Tears threatened to come to her eyes again when she realized Fred had taken care of it for her and had indeed been late for his work day because of it.

Shaking her head, she focused on opening the note and reading it, and like magic, the tears disappeared. Hermione was startled when she actually read the note.

Hermione

Of course I'll go shopping with you for Dad's birthday. When have I ever turned down shopping? Can we make a very important stop first though? You're the only one I trust with this information. I'll floo to your house thirty minutes after I send Athena back your way. See you soon.

Ginny

Hermione's brain was working a hundred miles a minute trying to figure out what was going on with Ginny. She headed back up the stairs to put on some clothes and finish her hair. A bra and panties weren't appropriate shopping wear. Throwing on an old pair of jeans, a thick blue jumper that she still shivered in, and a pair of ballet flats would do just fine.

After brushing her hair, Hermione charmed it dry. She debated for a few moments on how to style it, finally settling on straight. Hermione heard footsteps coming up the stairs as she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup and a few sprays of Fred's favorite perfume. Ginny came around the corner and plopped down on Hermione's side of the bed as Hermione was applying her perfume. Hermione glanced up at her.

"Hey, Gin. Sorry I'm running late. I almost had a crying jag when I found your note on the table. Why, I don't know. So what's going on? Your note made it sound serious."Ginny twisted the end of her long skirt in her fists then sighed.

"It is. I'm making you swear to secrecy though. Not even Harry knows yet, and that's how I want it. What we find out today will determine things from here on. Do I have your word?" Hermione looked at her earnestly and nodded.

"I promise, Gin, unless you're dying and me telling will save your life, I won't tell. Now tell me, you're winding me up here." Ginny reached out and took her by the hand and smiled.

"'Mione, I missed my period. I never miss. I think I'm pregnant. Will you go to St. Mungos with me today while we're out so I can get tested?" Hermione's hands flew to her mouth and a smile broke out on her face.

"Gin, this is amazing! Let's go now! Your dad can wait, I'm sure he'd agree." Hermione stopped and threw her arms around Ginny's neck. "Thanks, Gin, for trusting me to be the first one you tell. To let me go with you to find out. That really means a lot to me." Ginny brushed a few random tears that escaped down Hermione's cheeks.

"You're welcome, Sis. Now lets go see if you're going to be an aunt and I'm going to be a mum. "

Both women went down the stairs excitedly, grabbed their heavy cloaks, and walked outside to the apparition point. Joining hands, Ginny took control and turned them on the spot, reappearing in front of St. Mungos.

The two women quickly went inside after making sure that street was clear from both ends. They didn't bother to listen to the Welcome Witch, just walked right past her to the witch that was standing behind the desk in front of the elevator. She looked to be in her thirties, with pretty blond curls and green eyes. Looking up at the pair of them, she appeared bored. Hermione was thankful there was no recognition in her eyes.

"Can I help direct you where you need to go?" Ginny seemed to have froze up. Hermione stepped forward a half step and took charge.

"We need to see a Healer to confirm a pregnancy." The blond witch snapped her gum and looked down at a piece of paper.

"You're in luck. Healer Simons is free in ten minutes on the fifth floor. He's very good. Otherwise you'll have a two hour wait. " This seemed to wake Ginny up.

"Tell Healer Simons we'll see him in ten minutes then. Thank you." Ginny grabbed Hermione and made a dash for the elevator before the receptionist could ask any more questions. Ginny didn't want anyone knowing why she was here.

The pair took their time gething to the fifth floor; they didn't want to be recognized anywhere so they were trying to keep their heads down. When they couldn't put it off any longer, Ginny went to the receptionist and checked in for Healer Simons. They only had to wait a couple minutes, he was very prompt and professional. Ginny laid on the bed, Hermione took the chair by her head, holding her hand.

Healer Simons got right down to business. He handed Ginny a vial of bright pink potion, instructing her to drink it in one gulp. After doing so, she laid back down and Healer Simons started muttering spells over her abdomen. A large smoky picture of what looked like a fetus appeared over Ginny's belly. After another spell, a rapid heartbeat could be heard through out the room. He smiled up towards Ginny.

"Well, Mrs. Potter, you are most definetly pregnant. But barely so. Three weeks along. What you're hearing is your baby's heartbeat.156, which is very normal and healthy. You are due around the 30th of October." Ginny had tears in her eyes at the sound of the heartbeat and the picture of her baby. Hermione leaned over and gave her a hug. Healer Simon gave them an odd look.

"Mrs. Potter, who is your friend to you? Is Mr. Potter in the picture? I just want you to know that I'm old fashioned and if you're wanting me to be your Healer then-" Ginny laughed and cut him off.

"Healer Simon, I didn't say earlier because I didn't want anyone to know. This is my best friend and sister, Hermione Granger, now Weasley because she married my brother Fred. I'm Ginny Potter, married to Hermione's best friend Harry Potter. We're all very much involved." Healer Simons started stuttering apologies but Ginny held up her hand. "It's fine, truly it is. Hermione and my mother will be with me on alot of my appointments, as Harry is busy with his auror training. I just want you to understand that he will come closer to the end, once he's out of training and such." Healer Simons nodded his head but held up a finger.

"May I offer up a bit of advice, Mrs. Potter?" When Ginny nodded, he continued. "I would keep this little surprise a secret for just awhile. you aren't far along at all and could miscarry easily. If that were to happen, it would be much easier to deal with if less people knew about it."

Ginny's brows furrowed and she was silent for a minute before speaking quietly.

"I'll take your words under advisement. Thank you, Healer." He nodded and left the room, leaving Hermione to help Ginny sit up and work through the words he had said to her since they were obviously bothering her.

Hermione went to the receptionist and made Ginny's next appointment, while Ginny stood in the middle of the room with her hand on her belly staring into space. Hermione felt a tug of jealousy, wanting a baby for herself, but this didn't stop her from being over the moon for Harry and Ginny. They had been trying for longer than anyone. They deserved this pregnancy.

Hermione called to Ginny to leave but she didn't register that she was being talked to. Hermione walked back to the red head and grasped her by the hand, tugging her through the halls and into the elevator. After leaving St. Mungos, she took her to a coffee shop and ordered her a decaf coffee. Nothing she said would get the girls attention. Hermione hated to do it, but she was going to have to play dirty.

Leaning forward and grabbing hold of Ginny's forearms, Hermione uttered the two words she herself would never want to hear, let alone Ginny.

"Harry's dead."

The eyes that had been dull and lifeless were now fiery and blazing. With unexpected strength, Ginny jerked her arms out of Hermione's and was reaching for her wand, not caring that she was in a muggle coffee shop. Hermione needed to act fast.

"Harry's alive, Ginny. Don't pull out your wand."

Ginny stayed her hand, but continued to scan her surroundings, as if she was wondering how she got there. She was still breathing hard, and didn't seem to be slowing down. Hermione knew she was angry, and she had every right to be, but Ginny had been sinking in a black hole and that phrase had been the only raft that would save her. Ginny's head snapped up to Hermione.

"Why in the bloody fuck did you tell me he was dead?" Hermione pushed Ginny's appointment card towards her on the table.

"Do you remember me making that for you?" Ginny shook her head no. Hermione continued. "That's because that Healer mentioned miscarriage and you checked out. You stood in the middle of the room while I made your appointment, you didn't realize that we left St. Mungos, that we came to this coffee shop, or that I ordered you decaf, which I know you hate. I tried talking to you, threatening you, telling you everything would be fine, and it's like I was invisible. What I said to you was wrong, but it got a reaction out of you before you sank even further into the black hole you were in." Ginny stared at her with a blank face for a few moments before she stood and then moved in front of Hermione. Like a whip, her hand reached out quick as lightning and caught Hermione across the cheek, but most of the pressure along the cheekbone. Hard. The force snapped Hermione's face to the other side, making her eye water.

Ginny snatched her cloak and bag up and huffed out the door without another word said. Hermione finished her coffee in silence and left a tip on the table. She caught sight of her face on the way out. Her cheek was already a red welt and her eye was already starting to bruise. Hermione refused to heal it. She had definitely earned this.

Walking through old junk auto stores, Hermione ignored the looks she was getting and was trying to remember what auto parts Arthur had in his muggle shed. She made it to the back of the shop and saw an old Mini Cooper for sale. The sign said it ran, just needed work.

While nobody was looking, she shrunk the car and put it in her purse. As she turned to leave, she confunded the man at the register, feeling guilty the whole while, and paid him the entire amount due for the car. The man accepted the money happily, with a smile on his face.

As she walked down the sidewalk for a place she could disapparate, she looked at the time and saw that it was four in the afternoon. She decided to just go straight to the Burrow. There was no wrapping their gift anyways. Maybe helping Molly cook would make her feel better. Finding a deserted alley, she twisted away into nothing and appeared with a crack at the familiar farmhouse.

Hermione already felt better as she walked through the yard, dodging the chickens. She was humming a Madonna tune as she walked through the kitchen door, ready to help Molly cook. Somewhat surprised that Ginny wasn't there, Hermione called out for Molly, letting her know she was there. Nobody answered. Looking over at the table, Hermione saw a note.

Everyone

I'm with Lavender doing a little wedding planning. I'll be home and start the roast around five. Love you all.

Mum

Hermione went ahead and started the roast and all the side dishes that Molly usually made with it, all Arthurs favorites. Soon, everyone started showing up, first Angelina and Fleur, then Christine. Hermione had been able to keep her face down so far but when the floo activated, she glanced up to see who was coming through. She didn't even get a chance to see through a flutter of movement in front of her. Christine had her hands gingerly on her face, pushing the mahogany locks back behind her ears.

"'Mione, good Godric, are you alright? My gods, your poor face!" Christine tilted her chin from side to side. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Charlie and Harry peek around Christine and disappear. Hermione heard the floo activate as she was trying to keep Christine from healing her face. Christine was getting angry.

"Let me heal it, 'Mione. That has to be embarrassing to know everyone is looking at you, knowing your husband knocked you around." Hermione spun around and pulled her wand on Christine, making her back up.

As soon as she had backed up a couple steps, she lowered her wand. Hermione was furious at herself for not seeing the obvious conclusion.

"Christine, Fred didn't do this. He would never do this. Ginny did." A look of horror came over Christine's face and she raced to the fireplace and disappeared.

Looking at Ron and Arthur, Hermione was completely confused. All she knew is she felt like crying. She instantly turned back to the potatoes she was making but a sniffle gave her away. Angelina heard her and came to take her place, helping Fleur. Wiping her cheeks, she curled up in the corner of the couch, buried her face in her knees and cried. The silent sobs racked her shoulders until they seemed to sag inward.

Arms wrapped around her, strong arms, pulling her into his chest where she spilled even more tears, over Ginny, over what she had said. She knew it was the only thing that would have worked, she didn't regret it, but she regretted hurting her, regretted tearing their friendship. She regretted the falling out that she and Harry would surely suffer because she was bound by Ginny's promise. Damn her good intentions. She simply hoped that Fred would stick by her even though she couldn't tell Ginny's secret.

When she had finally stopped sobbing into the chest she was onto, she looked up and saw that it was Bill. He hadn't realized that she had looked up yet and was still rubbing her back in soothing circles and making soft noises to her. She made more of a show of sitting up so he wouldn't be embarrassed. Bill gave her a small smile and gave her a kiss on the forehead and got up and went back into the kitchen.

She went to the loo and made sure that she was properly cleaned up before she back into the she did, all hell seemed to break loose. Fred had just seemed to show up and had been beaten to a pulp. Surprised at his injuries, she rushed to him, trying to cup his face in her hands. His hands shoved her roughly away from his injuries and into the table. She could have sworn she heard him call her a lying bitch.

Tears instantly pricked her eyes, sliding down her cheeks in front of her whole family. She pulled the car out of her purse on the table and shoved it in Arthurs hands with the quick instructions "Enlarge it outside" before she headed towards the door.

Harry chased after her to the apartition point where she yelled a "Tell Ginny I'm sorry" before she disapparated with a crack and disappeared.

Hermione appeared Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. She took the money out of the register and left a note for Fred to take it out of the money that Harry had given her at the end of summer and that she was sorry for the problems it caused him. She added that she hadn't had anything to do with what happened to him but by his name calling he thought she did and she was sorry. She hoped he could forgive her. She was leaving his life since she brought him and his family shame and she was terribly sorry. She loved him still but understood if he didn't return it for bringing shame to his family. She exited the shop manually and did the only thing she could think of to keep herself safe for the night. Hermione Granger Weasley apparated to her childhood home.

After walking through the hallway and having the vision of her father replayed, over and over, she found her door. Sliding in and locking the door behind her, she threw herself on her bed and let herself cry. There was nothing to hold the tears back, nobody to be strong for. The last thought Hermione had before crying herself to sleep was that she was on her own and she had nobody else on the world.

This story is totally not following my outline because you guys have given me so many awesome ideas! Thank you for that! Maybe y'all will recognize one of your ideas (; Anyways, you know the drill, read and review, let me know your thoughts on the current chapter ((::


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